The King's Secret
by NajikaIce
Summary: The King finds an abandoned child on a cruel winter's night. When the boy can only remember his name, and displays an extraordinary gift for magic, Uther adopts him to keep him safe- but how long can the Pendragons keep Merlin's secret? AU; Prince!Merlin; Pairings Inside
1. Prologue- The Boy in the Forest

**Howdy everybody! I'm trying my hand at a multi-chaptered story this time 'round. It's an AU featuring mainly Uther and Merlin. Because damn it, I kinda like the ol' tyrant.**

**The Pairings are as follows: Merlin/Morgana; Arthur/Gwen; Uther/Ygraine. There will also be a lot of Pendragon/ Merlin family bonding.**

**BBC Merlin does not belong to me, it merely inspires.**

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_Prologue_

The crisp, cold air of a winter's night bit at Uther's face as he stepped out of the warmth of the tent. Yet he inhaled it deeply, welcoming the clean feeling into his lungs before letting out his breath and walking forward. The knight standing guard looked at his King curiously, but Uther held up his hand and gestured to his sword; he would not need protecting. The knight let him pass with a quiet nod.

Although the forest was dark, its trees looming over the King like a forbidding enemy, he felt much calmer than he did sitting in his tent. He and his knights were looking for a band of thieves that had been plaguing the forest north of Camelot; said thieves were found and taken care of. They were to head back home in the morning.

The King could not help his feeling of uneasiness. Just a year before, King Cenred of Essetir, declared a war against magic and all who practiced it. This caused many to rise against him in indignation- and by rising against Essetir, they were also against Camelot, who held an alliance with Cenred. Truthfully, though, Uther wanted nothing to do with the war on magic. Unbeknownst to those outside of Uther's wife, Ygraine, and his trusted physician Gaius, his son Arthur was born through magic.

Ygraine was unable to conceive, so Uther sought out the High Priestess Nimueh and begged for her help. She agreed, but warned the royal couple the dangers of such magic. In order to create life, life must first be taken. Anxious but desperate, they agreed, and Ygraine was with child in a month. Nine months later, she gave birth to their beautiful baby boy, Arthur. At the exact same moment the baby opened his mouth to cry, Ygraine's brother Tristan dropped dead, not ten feet away.

The Queen fell into mourning, and a funeral was provided right away. No one but the King, Queen, and Royal Physician knew what caused his death. Nimueh had come to apologize. She was forgiven; after all, she had warned them. Ygraine later said with a smile that Tristan would have been proud to see his nephew.

Arthur was seven now, the age when most boys become devious little pranksters. Uther regretted to say he didn't have many friends, and was becoming quite lonely, but covering it up with arrogance…

The leaves rustled, calling the King's attention. He froze, listening intently, hand hovering over his sword. A twig snapped, followed by a small gasp. Uther moved forward, slowly, eyes scanning the darkness.

A dark shaped lay coiled in front of a tree. It was small enough to be a child, but Uther risked nothing and drew his sword, pointing it toward the shape.

"Who's there?"

The figure flinched and started to scurry away. Uther lunged and grabbed its cloak, pulling it closer-

"_No!_"

-and he was immediately thrown back, seeing only a flash of gold before falling on his back. The figure scrambled to its feet and ran. The king got up quickly and followed; he was able to grab the cloak again, this time pointing his sword to its chest. Whoever this was, it was a sorcerer, and a powerful one at that.

"Turn around and tell me who you are," he demanded in his most imposing voice. The figure, shaking, did as it was told, turning around as slowly as it could.

It was a child. A boy. A boy with raven black hair and eyes so blue Uther could see them in the dark. His face, accented with high- but rather endearing- cheekbones, was covered with dirt and scratches. He couldn't have been any older than Arthur. Uther lowered his sword just a bit.

"I-I'm… I'm…" he stuttered, but could not say more.

Uther sighed and sheathed his weapon, then got down on one knee to level himself with the boy. Tentatively, he touched his shoulder, but the child still flinched with fear.

"It's all right," Uther murmured. "I won't hurt you."

The boy took a deep breath, blinking several times to keep tears from spilling out. Suddenly Uther was unsure of what to say next.

"Wh… Where are your parents?"

"I-I don't know…."

"… Are they missing?"

He shook his head. "I don't know! I don't even remember what they look like…"

"You've lost your memory?" The boy nodded.

"All I remember is running. And then falling. And then you."

"And nothing else besides that? What about your name?"

The boy looked down, pressing his mouth into a tight line as he thought. Then, he looked up at Uther with unsure blue eyes. "M… Merlin. My name is Merlin."

Uther gave a noise of acquiescence to show he understood. A boy, lost in the woods, with nothing to remember but his name. And he had magic! By all counts, he was suspicious. Or he should've been, but the fear hiding in those deep pools of eyes stopped him from arresting the boy.

Suddenly Merlin swayed, falling to his knees onto the dirt. Uther rushed to grab him, and saw that his face was covered with a sheen of sweat. Merlin's breath was coming out in ragged, short pants. He was clearly sick.

Uther hesitated now. He could leave the boy here and let him die- he was a sorcerer, after all, and that was the law- but how could he do that? Merlin was probably only a year younger than his own son! And the boy had lost so much already. He'd be killing someone else's son, if his parents were still alive.

Weighing his options, Uther decided against the law- just this once- and carried Merlin back to camp.

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**Whew. So, tell me what you think! I have the next three chapters written, just in case this gets positive feedback. I'm really dedicated to this idea and I want to finish it- but only YOU can motivate this lazy bum! ... Please?**


	2. The Family of the Kingdom

**DANG. A lot of positive reviews! Guess we're going through with this, now. I was kind of scared everyone would think it was weird.**

**Merlin is not mine.**

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The knights reached Camelot at midday with the people rejoicing at their return. Uther paid no attention to their sentiment, instead rushing to Gaius's workplace with the young Merlin wrapped in blankets in his arms.

The other knights looked at him curiously, shocked, even, when their King announced that they were bringing a lost and sick child back with them. His knight Valiant seemed even more suspicious of the boy, even though he told no one of his magic. Uther sent four knights to search the woods for Merlin's parents, and the rest accompanied him back to Camelot.

He stepped into the physician's quarters and called out quietly, "Gaius?"

An old man emerged from a back room, wiping his hands with a rag. Uther smiled upon seeing his old friend.

"Sire," greeted Gaius. "Welcome back. Is everything alright…?" He trailed off, spotting the child asleep in the King's arms. Gaius raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Uther cleared his throat. "We found this boy, Merlin, in the woods last night. I believe he has a fever of some sort." Merlin coughed, his entire body shuddering.

Gaius immediately pointed to the bed, going into professional mode as Uther set the boy down. He laid his hand against Merlin's forehead and pulled it back almost instantly.

"He's burning up," he said, concern marring his features. The physician looked up at Uther. "How long has he been like this?"

"He fainted last night and hasn't awoken since," replied Uther. "And… Gaius, he's lost his memories. All he knows is his name."

"That's rather serious… Had you not found him, Sire, he'd certainly be dead." Gaius grabbed a vial from his workbench and opened it, tipping the contents into Merlin's mouth. The boy seemed to calm, but his face was still flushed and sweating.

Uther bit his lip. "I almost left him," he said softly, half-hoping Gaius wouldn't hear him. But the physician did, and looked at his King with shock. Before he could chastise Uther, however, Queen Ygraine burst into the room, Arthur trailing behind her.

"Uther!" she exclaimed, enveloping her husband in a hug. Uther received it gratefully.

"My Queen," he murmured into her hair. Her embrace relaxed him, but he could still feel Gaius's stare penetrating his back. He ruffled Arthur's hair, but the young Prince was instead looking at the bed with curiosity. The Prince made his way to Merlin's side while his parents talked.

"Were the bandits taken care of?"

"Yes. No trouble at all."

"Then why haven't all the knights returned? Valiant said something about a child…" Ygraine stopped suddenly, looking past Uther, who followed her gaze to their son.

Arthur was leaning over Merlin, a small frown on his face as he examined the boy. He looked back at his parents, then at Gaius.

"He's not okay, is he?" he asked simply. Gaius shook his head.

"Not at the moment. But he will be."

"Uther, who is that boy?" Ygraine asked.

"His name is Merlin. I found him in the woods last night."

His wife was incredulous. "All by himself?"

He nodded and turned to his son. "Arthur, why don't you go back to the castle? I need to speak to your mother and Gaius."

Arthur pouted. "I want to be here when Merlin wakes up!" he shouted, seeming to have taken an immediate interest in the boy.

"He won't wake for a while. Please, Arthur."

His son groaned and begrudgingly walked towards the door. "Fine…" As soon as he left, Gaius resumed their conversation from before.

"So Sire, what do you mean you almost left him to die?" He repeated those words to catch the Queen's attention.

"You what?"

Uther held his hands up in defense. "I almost did! I couldn't, though, not when he couldn't even remember why he was out there in the first place…"

"But why would you even consider it, Uther, he's just a child!"

"A child with magic."

The King waited patiently as the surprise crept across their faces, both of them looking at Merlin, then back at Uther.

"He used magic to knock me back earlier," he elaborated, "and it was quite strong, considering his age and condition."

"This boy… has magic?" Ygraine's eyes softened, showing she understood her husband's intent.

"I didn't know they could start so early," Gaius said thoughtfully, looking at the boy in a new light.

"Neither did I."

Merlin stirred, as though he could hear them talking about him, and groaned quietly in his sleep.

Ygraine reached for her husband, touching his shoulder. "You're wanted in the Council Room," she said gently.

He nodded again. "Right," he said, turning for the door. "Gaius, keep me updated on his status. Make sure no one discovers his secret."

"Yes, Sire."

Both the King and Queen departed, leaving Gaius with the child sorcerer.

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Merlin awoke in the afternoon, confused. The last thing he recalled was collapsing in the forest and an old man dressed in red… And now he was in a warm bed in a strange room, bottles and vials of all sorts were scattered about various desks, along with papers marked with ink and drawings. Merlin sat up, trying not to wince as his head screamed in protest. At least he felt significantly better than he did the day before.

"You shouldn't move, you're still recovering."

Merlin jumped at the man's voice, which made him chuckle and sit down on the chair next to the bed.

"It's all right, you're in a safe place."

"W-Where…?"

"This is my quarters; I'm the court physician of Camelot. My name is Gaius."

Merlin swallowed thickly, refusing to look anywhere but his lap.

"It's Merlin, correct?" pressed Gaius, determined to get Merlin to speak. The boy only nodded and looked up at Gaius.

"You had a nasty fever, but it's subsided now. You're very lucky, Merlin. If Uther hadn't found you…"

"Uther?" muttered Merlin. "The man?" He'd heard that name before…

"Yes," smiled Gaius, pleased that he was now talking. "Uther found you in the woods and brought you here to heal."

Merlin was repeating Uther's name in his head, wondering who he was and why his name was so familiar. A dark voice, rough as granite, resounded in his mind.

"_And you must beware of Cenred' allies… While they all may not share his views, they fear his army, and will eliminate magic at any costs… Godwyn, Caerleon, and Bayard will do whatever it takes to avoid war with Essetir. You must find Uther Pendragon, Merlin. Camelot is Albion's last hope."_

"Uther Pendragon," mumbled Merlin, "The King of Camelot…"

Gaius raised an eyebrow. "That's right… How do you know that? Are you from Camelot?"

Merlin shook his head. "N-No, but I've heard of him… I think."

"From where?" pressed the physician.

"I-I don't know, I'm sorry…"

Gaius leaned back in his chair. He supposed he was being too forward with the boy, asking him questions right off the bat as soon as he woke up. He sighed, getting up and handing Merlin a vial of medicine.

"If you want to go back to sleep, take that first. It will help." Merlin nodded slowly. "I'm going out for a bit, just to discuss a few things with the King." At the boy's panicked look, he frowned. He must be concerned about his magic.

"Relax, Merlin, you're safe here. I promise." He offered a kind smile that Merlin couldn't help but return. "I'll be right back." Gaius left his quarters, giving Merlin one last glance before closing the door.

About ten minutes after Gaius left, Merlin was staring restlessly at the ceiling. He couldn't fall back asleep, despite taking the medicine, and the physician hadn't returned nearly as quickly as he'd like. And he couldn't help but feel he was being watched…

"Psst!"

Merlin's head snapped up and looked around. "Wh-Who's there?"

A young boy, no older than he was, crept into the room, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. He stood on the other side, looking at Merlin with wide, blue eyes.

The sorcerer shifted, uncomfortable. "Erm…"

"You're Merlin, right?" he asked.

"Y-Yes? Who are you?"

The boy stepped closer, and Merlin instinctively pulled his knees to his chest, as if to defend himself. The boy stopped and rolled his eyes.

"I'm Arthur. Prince Arthur," he announced haughtily. Instead of shock, Merlin took his turn to roll his eyes.

"And?"

This seemed to throw the Prince off, as he looked at Merlin with an annoyed glare. "Most people would at least bow."

"I'm in a bed right now, so… No bowing, sorry your highness," Merlin said mockingly. Nevertheless, he grinned. Arthur smiled back, making his way to Merlin's bedside and sitting in the same chair Gaius had.

"So do you feel all better?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. Thanks to Gaius… and your father."

"Gaius is the best physician in all the kingdoms," boasted Arthur. "And my father is the greatest king, too, no question."

Merlin chuckled. "I'm very lucky, then."

"Yes you are."

For some reason, talking to Arthur relaxed the young sorcerer, though he knew the presence of royalty should have threatened him. They continued chatting, even when Gaius came back and scolded Arthur for leaving the castle without telling anyone (apparently he snuck out when the maid wasn't looking). It was only when Uther stepped in, wearing a small frown of disappointment that Arthur straightened up and actually started acting like a prince.

Merlin had to resist the urge to laugh as Arthur studiously avoided his father's stern gaze. In fact, he was still biting his lip when Uther began to address him.

"So you're feeling better, then?"

"Yes, Sire. Thank you," he added sheepishly.

"It was no trouble. How is your memory…?"

"O-Oh. I, um, still can't remember very much." Merlin looked down. "I can only recall a voice, but even that's kind of hazy."

"I see." Uther smiled and turned away, gesturing for Gaius to follow him. The children resumed their conversation, although they were clearly curious about what the grown-ups were talking about.

"Sire," inquired Gaius, "not to seem insensitive to the boy's condition, but what are you going to do with him? Have his parents been found?"

"Regrettably, no. All the knights could find was a destroyed hut three miles from where I found Merlin. He might have lived there, but it's unclear."

Gaius frowned. "So he's really all alone, then…" He looked up at the King. "So what are you going to do? Find him a family?"

"Actually, that's been taken care of as well."

"Really?" Gaius seemed surprised.

"Yes, I discussed Merlin's situation with Ygraine, and Nimueh even came in and helped us make a decision. Ygraine was quite… pleased with her suggestion."

"What would that be, Sire?" Gaius furrowed his brow; whatever suggestion Nimueh came up with, it was probably something mischievous meant to give Uther strife.

Instead of answering, Uther turned back to the boys, who were no longer talking, but rather watching the men with intense stares. They weren't as quiet as they'd hope to be, apparently.

"W-Where am I going?" asked Merlin timidly.

"Nowhere. You're staying in Camelot."

Merlin simply looked confused.

"But… Where will I stay?"

"In the castle. You see, Merlin, my wife and son seem to have taken quite a liking to you."

Merlin didn't recall meeting the Queen, but he supposed it happened while he was unconscious. Arthur was grinning at him with his Golden Boy smile.

"And…?"

Uther looked to Gaius, who inspected him curiously, then to the boys.

"So, we've decided to take you into the family. You are now Prince Merlin Pendragon."

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**End of another chapter! So yes, Uther has decided to adopt our little warlock. But what convinced him? That will be in the next chapter.**

**Forewarning: There will be a few chapters about Merlin's new childhood as a Pendragon, mostly just little snippets of important events. Expect a lit of timeskipping. After that, we'll dive straight into the main story, which I will elaborate on later.**

**Please review, thanks!**


	3. Discussion in Their Chambers

**Yeah... I just decided to upload this next chapter, because the it's just an exposition chapter in which I attempt to write Nimueh. But whatever.**

**This story won't have a consistent updating schedule, by the way. Sorry, but I'm still in school and will probably only write when I have the time/ need to relieve stress. Nevertheless, hope you enjoy!**

**Merlin is not mine.**

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Ygraine stood by the window in her (and Uther's) chambers, not bothering to hide her concern as she tapped her finger against the windowsill. A petite but beautiful woman stood next to her, curling a brunette strand of hair in her fingers. Uther was just in the next room, discussing the bandits with his Council. When he got out of the meeting, they would talk about their other dilemma; namely, Merlin.

The woman, Nimueh, had had quite enough of standing around looking worried, and collapsed in the armchair next to the Queen.

"You needn't look so concerned, Your Highness. You'll get premature wrinkles."

Ygraine rolled her eyes at the High Priestess, who smirked cheekily in return. "Very funny." Still she sat beside the sorceress, wringing her hands- a bad habit she'd picked up as a child.

"It's just… Something about that boy, it unsettles me."

"Do you mean his magic? I admit, it is strange for a child so young to possess such strong abilities, but stranger things have happened."

"It's not that… It's this loss of memory. Can you imagine, not remembering your family? The poor boy…"

Nimueh didn't bother to reply as she saw the Queen's eyes glaze other in thought. The High Priestess spared a tiny smile. She reclined in her chair, making sure to stay out of sight from the window, just in case.

As magic was slowly banned throughout the kingdoms, so were the ways of the Old Religion, and Nimueh's fellow Priestesses fled to the Isle of the Blessed. She, too, lived there now, only coming out when Uther or Ygraine called for her. And she was quite curious about this Merlin child… As soon as she stepped into Camelot's boundaries, she felt a jolt of powerful magic- could it be because of him?

Uther skulked into the room, the door closing behind him with an equally moody thud. Ygraine hopped up from the chair, now out of her reverie, and greeted her husband with a warm embrace. Nimueh remained in her seat, only quirking an eyebrow at the King as he sighed and undid his cape.

"What's wrong, Uther? Was the Council that harsh with you?"

"No, they were quite pleased with the result of our little expedition…"

"So what's aggravated you, Uther?" asked Ygraine.

"Valiant kept glaring daggers at me all throughout the meeting, and it managed to attract Aggravaine's attention. So I had to deal with the two of them staring at me."

"Why was Sir Valiant glaring at you?"

"Probably because of the child. He didn't look too thrilled when I first brought him to camp, either."

Nimueh shrugged. "I was never too fond of Valiant. Bit of an ass."

"Nimueh!" Ygraine rebuked, though she failed to hide her smile. The High Priestess waved her off.

"Right, anyway, to the matter at hand. This boy, Merlin… What do you need my help with?"

"We'd like to know what to do with him, really… I assume Ygraine told you everything?"

"Yes, his magic, memories, and all."

The King nodded. "My knights could find nothing but a ruined hut in the area I found him. Completely abandoned, but we didn't find any bodies, either."

Ygraine let out a small breath. "So he might have parents still."

"Hmm." Nimueh looked straight ahead, thinking. "I think he might not…"

Uther watched her sharply. "What?"

"When I stepped past your boundaries, I felt a very strong presence of magic… I assume the boy is in Gaius's chambers? That's where the magic is concentrating…"

"You can feel him?" Ygraine asked.

"Yes. And on my way here, I sensed nothing else. If this boy's magic is so strong, shouldn't it go that his parents' are as well?"

"M-Maybe he just learned magic faster, a prodigy of some sort-!" Nimueh interrupted Uther with a grimace.

"This is a different sort of magic, Uther Pendragon. It seemed instinctive, almost as if… Well, as if the boy were born with it."

Ygraine blinked. "Born with magic?"

"Is such a thing possible?"

"It was actually quite common before the Ban. But as my people were prosecuted," her eyes glowed gold, causing Ygraine to shrink into her husband's side, "the chance of magic inherent in children has lessened significantly."

"So Merlin could be a very important child to many…" Uther murmured.

"And his loss of memory makes this whole thing even more suspicious…" added the Queen.

"The question now is, what should we do to help him?"

"Could you not take him to the Isle of the Blessed? Perhaps train him in the ways of the Old Religion?" asked Ygraine anxiously, but Nimueh shook her head with a sigh.

"Only women may become High Priestesses, and I don't believe it would be a flourishing subject to learn. Might I suggest the Druids? They could take the boy in."

Uther shook his head. "We don't know where they are, and even if we did, smuggling Merlin out would be too risky."

"Perhaps," said Ygraine, "it would be for the best if we could keep an eye on him… His magic may be volatile, no matter how inherent it is…"

"You want to keep him in Camelot?" Nimueh asked the Queen, dubious. Uther was stunned as well. His wife shrugged nervously, hesitant to speak.

"It's just… Well, it would be better that way, wouldn't it? Don't deny that you're both concerned for him! We can make sure he doesn't get caught by bandits, or worse, Cenred's men."

"I… I see what you're getting at, Ygraine, but I'm not sure about harboring a child within Camelot's walls," Uther replied, frowning.

"There's another reason, isn't there, Your Highness?" asked Nimueh as she observed the Queen biting her lip.

"I…" The Queen swallowed thickly. "We could take him in. Adopt him."

"What!" Uther nearly shouted. Nimueh had to shush him to avoid calling in the guards. "You want us to adopt a sorcerer?" he continued in a quieter, but still harsh, tone.

"It would be easy to watch after him if we saw him every day, and you know how lonely Arthur's been lately-!"

"Then why not have Gaius adopt him, or anyone else!"

Ygraine only glowered at the ground, tears bubbling in the corner of her eyes. Suddenly it dawned on Nimueh what had gotten into the Queen.

"Your Highness…" she spoke, rising slowly from her chair, "the reason you suggested adoption… Do you want another child?"

Uther's jaw dropped. Ygraine hugged herself, refusing to meet her husband's staggered stare.

"I cannot have any more children," she whispered. "And I can't conceive by magic, not after what happened to Tristan…"

"Ygraine…" Her husband reached for her shoulder. She threw herself into his arms.

"I'm sorry, I… I love Arthur, really, but I've always wanted more children, and I want him to have a friend…"

"I understand," he said, though the words were muffled in her hair.

Nimueh was pacing the floor and the royal couple clasped each other for support.

"Uther, I think she has a point."

He looked up from his wife. "You think we should adopt him as well?"

"It is a convenient way of keeping track of him. And no one will suspect the King of Camelot, of all people, to be harboring a sorcerer. Ygraine gets her second child, Arthur gets a little brother, everyone is happy. And come on, you like the child too."

The Queen gazed up at him with hopeful eyes.

"But…" he faltered, "what about the people? Surely they won't accept this so easily. Or the knights, for that matter." He added the last part remembering Valiant.

"I don't think it's that big a deal. If anything, the people will admire you for taking in a hopeless orphan. Just keep his magic and memories a secret, and everything will work out."

"… You're awfully supportive of this."

She smirked again, eyes going gold as a breeze began to blow through the room.

"I just feel as though Merlin is destined for something great… And you, the Pendragons, will help him to that greatness."

With a gust of wind, she was gone, and Uther's mind had been made up for him.

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**Wooo, so Nimueh has a clue of what's going on. I honestly kind of like her, too. I imagined she wasn't that bad until Uther went all 'my wife is dead so now everyone has to die' on her. I like Ygraine, too, though I don't have much to go on her. Tell me what you guys think.**

**Next Chapter: Merlin is introduced to Camelot, bonds with his new family, and meets a certain girl who will be vital in his future.**


	4. Merlin's Childhood Part 1

**__I... Yeah. Here's another chapter. 'Cause you guys are great. **

**This is the first part of Merlin's Childhood; there are going to be a few chapters on this so I can flesh out his relationships and whatnot. Timeskips Ahoy!**

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**_Three Months Later…_**

As Nimueh predicted, the people had taken to their new Prince well- but not necessarily due to the poor orphan boy story.

As it turned out, Merlin had a certain charm about him that made him just, well, likable. He and Arthur (who quite frankly loved having a little brother, and when his parents told him about his magic, he only smiled wider- but promised to keep it secret) could sweet-talk their way out of almost any trouble. And he wasn't overtly charismatic in the same way Arthur was, all smiles and chatter. Merlin was a quiet sort of child, who would rather be in the library than training. Uther supposed the people found that refreshing.

Of course, there were many who still looked at the new Prince with contempt. A strange commoner had suddenly swept into the kingdom and inexplicably become a member of the royal household? Not everyone took so kindly to that.

Uther remembered the announcement with an odd mix of fondness and discomfort.

_He stood on the balcony overlooking the town square, and saw all the commoners gathered below, looking up at him. Ygraine was to his right, Arthur to his left, and Gaius stood with Merlin behind them, out of the view of the people. The knights and nobles were all aligned at the front of the crowd, awaiting the King's "urgent announcement"._

_"People of Camelot," he began, letting his voice carry across the droves. "I have wonderful news for you all. As my knights and I rid the Northern Forests of a band of thieves, I came across this young boy."_

_Gaius nudged Merlin forward, to the immediate left of the King, next to Arthur. The people began to murmur with interest._

_"His name is Merlin. He is without a proper family, and because of the kind heart and soul of my wife, Ygraine," he looked to her, and she smiled serenely on the crowd, "we have decided to take him into our family."_

_The crowd was now clamoring, and Uther could spot Valiant's angry gape from below._

_"This is Merlin Pendragon, second Prince of Camelot!" He announced over the noise, making Merlin try and shrink into the shadows, but Arthur held him in place._

_A few agonizing seconds of total silence later, the people erupted with a happy cheer, many shouting out their congratulations to the King and Queen._

_Uther was not expecting the favorable response, but Ygraine beamed and reached over to Merlin. Her smile, combined with Arthur's, infected him, and soon Merlin was smiling back at the crowd, who were all trying their best to glimpse at their newest Prince._

Uther sent out a letter to the kingdoms of Mercia, Caerleon, Gawant, and, against his better judgment, Essetir, telling the respective rulers about his newly-adopted son. He had received congratulations back from everyone but Essetir, which troubled him to no end. But he had no time to worry about that now.

"Uther!"

The King nearly jumped out of his skin, but smiled warmly as he recognized the voice and opened his arms to receive the its owner in a friendly embrace.

"Gorlois, it's been too long."

The broad-shouldered, dark-haired man laughed, patting Uther's arms affectionately. Behind him stood a fair-haired woman, Vivienne, and their daughter, Morgana.

"Lady Vivienne," he greeted the woman by kissing her hand. He then bowed deeply to Morgana, who giggled and raised her arms up. Uther smiled and received the child in a hug.

"Far too long, indeed," agreed Gorlois. "Though I regret to say we didn't drop by purely to see you, Uther."

The King half-smiled. "Of course. I imagine you're here to meet Merlin."

"Yes, well, Morgana was determined to meet her new playmate as soon as possible."

"Father!" shouted the young girl, indignant. Her mother hushed her teasingly.

"Merlin and Arthur will be along shortly. Ygraine is taking them for a stroll around the square. You see, we weren't expecting you so early."

"We were quite eager to get here," Vivienne gestured to Morgana, who was now pouting with flushed cheeks.

"Not you too, Mother…"

Uther led them to the Council Chambers, where they waited for the Queen and the Princes. They arrived not fifteen minutes later.

"Oh my goodness, you're here already," said Ygraine as she straightened her dress. Bits of straw were stuck to her hem and even in her hair, and her face was flushed, but she wore as gracious a smile as ever.

"Arrived earlier than expected," Gorlois nodded. "Something happen in town, Ygraine?"

"The boys decided to start a game of tag. Guess who was it?" Everyone laughed, except for the two Princes, who were trying to hide behind each other to avoid the blame. That was until Arthur spotted Morgana and nearly bolted to her, grabbing Merlin's hand as he did so.

"Morgana!" He grinned.

"Arthur." Morgana curtsied politely, but her attention was obviously centered on Arthur's new brother.

Everyone in that room would later laugh as they remembered Merlin's reaction to the young lady. He was gaping at her, but not in a rude way. His mouth simply hung open a bit, pupils wide and cheeks red as he observed the prettiest girl in the entirety of Camelot (which he thought, never spoke).

"And you're Merlin?" she blinked her impossibly green eyes sweetly.

"I-uh, yes, I am…" He managed a decent bow, blushing even more.

"Merlin," called Uther, who was previously busy chuckling at his adopted son's expense, "this is Sir Gorlois and the Lady Vivienne. Their family guards our land in the west." The adults smiled and greeted the boy. "And this is their daughter, the Lady Morgana."

"Hello," she spoke pleasantly, curtsying again.

"H-Hello." Merlin's voice cracked, just a bit, but it sent Arthur into a fit of laughter. "Arthur!"

Morgana giggled, and the adults watched on with amusement.

"Why don't the three of you go play in the courtyard, then?" suggested Ygraine.

Still hiccupping laughs, Arthur led a mortified Merlin and delighted Morgana outside. The adults still wore smiles on their faces long after the children had left.

"I believe we've found Merlin a wife already," commented Vivienne.

* * *

**_One Month Later_**

Merlin soon found another downside to add to being a Prince. In addition to everyone watching your every move, and expectations so heavy they could crush a horse, a Prince also had to well-versed in combat. And Merlin was _not _a fighter.

That is to say, Merlin wasn't ungrateful. He quite liked his new family. His mother was lovely, Arthur was a nice enough brother, and Uther had already proven to be a kind man. He couldn't remember his old family at all, so he should be happy wasn't cast out with no one at all.

He just _hated _training.

"Agh!" For the tenth time that day, Merlin fell on his back, Arthur grinning victoriously over him. They were both holding wooden swords and shields.

"Merlin, you're making this way too easy!" Arthur teased, pulling his brother up. Merlin brushed himself off and glared at the blonde.

"You're just too much of a brute…"

"And you're a girl," the blonde teased back. Of course, he knew his brother's magic could floor him in seconds, but he was happy to say Merlin couldn't "cheat" out in public.

"Funny, I seem to recall Morgana being a girl, and she kicks your butt." It was Merlin's turn to grin as Arthur scowled.

"Enough, you two." A blonde teenager stepped in between the Princes and clapped them on the shoulders. "Arthur, be nicer to your brother."

Arthur looked at him pointedly. "Leon, how many enemies are going to coddle you every time you fall down?"

Leon rolled his eyes. He turned to the younger Prince and offered him a sympathetic smile. Merlin returned it, happy that not everyone was making fun of his fighting skills (or lack thereof).

"Anyway, let's move on to something else, shall we?" The teen waved over a cart covered with a tarp. "Your father suggested you try the longbows today."

Arthur made a face. "Can't we just keep practicing with swords? God knows Merlin needs it."

"No," replied Leon. "You've had some trouble with longbows, Arthur; don't try to weasel out of it."

Merlin smirked. "_Arthur _has problems with weapons?"

"Longbows aren't easy!" Arthur shouted back. "Bet they'll be twice as hard for you, Merlin."

Leon handed the both of them a longbow and a quiver of arrows, taking their swords and shields and replacing them in the cart. After instructing Merlin how to properly use the longbow, Leon pointed towards two targets on the other side of the field.

"Have fun." He finished, leaving to attend to something else.

Merlin watched his older brother and he drew the bow back and released- the arrows landed just off the center of the target. The blonde grimaced, throwing Merlin a dirty look as the younger tried to suppress a giggle.

"Nice one," Merlin muttered.

"Shut up and try it, Merlin."

Merlin took a deep breath and pulled the bow back, as he'd observed Arthur, and aimed at the target. He let go, the arrow firing through the air. He immediately looked at Arthur, expecting a taunt for missing so horribly. But instead, Arthur was staring, wide-eyed, at the target. Merlin looked back.

He had hit the center dead-on.

After an involuntary cry of joy, he proved it wasn't a fluke by hitting the center again and again. Arthur eventually admitted that Merlin was a natural with the longbow, no magic required, and the boys returned to the castle in relatively high spirits. Uther was pleased his new son had some skill in combat, especially in a field that didn't require magic. That made his present to Merlin seem almost unnecessary, but Gaius and Nimueh pushed him to it. The King requested to see the younger Prince in his chambers shortly before dinner.

Merlin poked his head through the door nervously. "You wanted to see me, Uther…?"

Uther's smile faltered for a second before he motioned for the boy to come closer. Merlin obeyed, still holding an apprehensive look in his eyes. Despite saving his life, Uther was just… intimidating.

"I wanted to tell you how proud I am of your apparent longbow talents. It's a hard skill to master, but you seem to be very proficient at it." He said these words stiffly, simply because he didn't know how to lead into their next subject, which was a paper-wrapped parcel hidden behind his back.

"Erm, thank you, Uther. I'm glad I found something I'm good at." Though he appeared humble and even quite embarrassed, there was a sad undertone in the boy's words. He was good at the longbow, yes, but he knew he was even better at magic.

Uther nodded (which was actually more like jerking his head down once) and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, considering your other talent… W-Well, Gaius said you shouldn't limit yourself to only one specialty, so…" Not wanting to ramble on further, Uther produced the parcel from behind his back and held it out to his son. Merlin reached out his hand, hesitating and confused, and took the parcel from Uther.

"Go on, open it."

The brown paper fell off, revealing a leather-bound book with gold embellishments. The cover read simply _Grimoire, _making Merlin blink once, then twice, and then he looked up at his father.

"Gaius was a sorcerer as well," he explained. "After the Ban, he renounced his practices but kept some artifacts as keepsakes." He tipped his head toward the book. "He wanted me to give that to you, to practice." He had to swallow after saying this; imagine, the King of Camelot giving his son a magic textbook!

Merlin's blue eyes, wide with wonder, scanned the inside pages. Spells of every sort were inscribed in elegant hand on the crisp, slightly yellowed paper. "I… It's beautiful."

"Keep in mind that I only consented to this on the premise that you will remain careful. Do not bring this book out in front of anyone who is not in our family. And don't try to burn or destroy anything."

"I won't, I promise!" All of his teeth were exposed as the child smiled. Uther returned the gesture with a considerably lighter heart.

"Now, you should run along and thank Gaius before dinner." Merlin nodded ecstatically, but paused for a moment, instead of walking out the door.

"…Merlin?"

Without preamble, the child threw his skinny arms around the King's midsection, surprising them both with his next words: "Thank you too, Father!"

Uther's arms hovered in the air and he blinked his gray eyes. Then, gingerly, he hugged Merlin back.

"You're welcome, son," he whispered.

They separated, Merlin's childish grin permanently fixed on his face. The Prince nodded, ran to the door, and shouted a goodbye to his father as he left to find Gaius.

* * *

**(Can you guys tell how much I like Uther yet or) And yes, so we're clear, all the Pendragons (plus Gaius and Nimueh) know about Merlin's magic. But no one else. For now.**

**I also adore archery, so Merlin+Bow and Arrows= YES.**

**Next chapter: The castle receives two new tenants and Arthur is jealous... of Merlin?**


	5. Merlin's Childhood Part 2

**Hello again! So, yes. Another chapter. This is the second part of Merlin's Childhood, wherein tragedy strikes, and Merlin makes yet another new friend.**

* * *

_**Three Years Later**_

Merlin ran about the castle, stopping only to say hello to any passerby servants, otherwise determined not to stop until he found Arthur. It was another lazy day when they had no training, no lessons, and no prior plans with Mother or Father. The ten-and-eleven-year-old princes were currently engaged in a furious game of hide-and-seek, with a twist; if you were found, you could escape being "it" by having a sword fight. It was Leon who came up with that rule, because in the three years since Merlin became a Prince, his sword fighting skills improved minimally, and Leon believed that work and play could be mixed freely. Arthur's only complaint was that they were still using the wooden swords.

It was Round 3 of the game, and Merlin, predictably, was still "it". There were grass stains covering his white shirt and a bit of mud on his face, but if anything could be said for the young Prince, he didn't give up easily.

"Boo!" Arthur burst from a nearby shrub and pounced on Merlin, both Princes falling to the ground in a tangled heap.

"Arthur! That's not fair, you can't- argh!" Merlin cut himself off as he threw Arthur to the side and pulled out his fake sword. Arthur did the same with a wild smile.

"You were taking for_ever, _Merlin!" He made the bring-it-on gesture, waving his sword tauntingly. Merlin's eyes narrowed and he lunged forward.

He'd improved a little. Arthur had some difficulty knocking his brother down again, and he'd managed to land a hit to Arthur's side. But after five minutes of smacking each other, Merlin lost his footing, and Arthur would've delivered the "final blow" had Ygraine not stepped in and called for them.

"Arthur? Merlin?" Her voice, melodious as ever, halted the play battle, and the boys stood unceremoniously. Covered with patches of green and brown, the Queen held her hand to her mouth, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Mother," Merlin smiled. "Good afternoon." He bowed theatrically, like he did every time he greeted his mother. She removed her hand and graced the two of them with her smile, and Arthur merely rolled his eyes.

"And to you, Merlin." She gave a little mock-curtsy. "I'm sorry to interrupt your game, but your father has something he needs to announce."

"Do we have to?" asked Arthur. "I was gonna fatally injure Merlin!"

"Yeah, we should get going right now," Merlin said back. The boys grinned at each other and Arthur gave his little brother a playful shove.

"Let's go see what Father has to say, then."

The Throne Room was full of King Uther's Court, Lords and Ladies Merlin vaguely remembered meeting standing in a half-circle around the thrones. Uther was in his place at the head of the congregation, with Ygraine standing behind him on the right and the two Princes on the left. Merlin spotted Gaius, who stood in front of the Court, and shot him a smile, which the physician returned. Besides Arthur, Gaius was probably Merlin's best friend, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"I have called you all here to address a grave matter," Uther's voice boomed, but it somehow lacked its authority, and Merlin noted for the first time the heavy bags under his father's eyes. The King looked sad. The boy looked to his brother, who had noticed it as well and looked as concerned as Merlin himself felt.

"It is with a heavy heart that I inform the Court… Gorlois le Fay was slain in battle."

A ripple of gasps erupted from the crowd, and Merlin inhaled sharply. He remembered Gorlois from his many, yet brief visits to the Camelot. The kind man who would gladly play the part of dragon in the children's games just so that Merlin and Arthur could both be knights and save the "damsel", Morgana (who would always argue and end up a knight, too), was now gone.

Uther allowed the commotion to settle before speaking again. "To add to the misfortune, his wife, Lady Vivienne, has fallen ill. The grief has weakened her severely."

Now Merlin thought of the beautiful woman who would sit in the shade and laugh amusedly whilst her husband played with the kids. His heart felt heavier with each passing second. What about Morgana?

Uther glanced at his adopted son as if he knew what he was thinking. "Because both of her parents and unable to take care of her," his voice cracked on the last word, but everyone ignored it, "the Lady Morgana will be sent here, to Camelot, where she will become my ward. Expect her at the end of the month." Then he turned away quickly and strode out, Ygraine and the Princes trailing him, leaving a stunned Court behind.

* * *

Morgana had indeed arrived at the end of the month, but she was not the bright, vibrant girl she was during her previous visits. Her shining green eyes were dulled, and her mouth was pulled into a perpetual frown. She would stare at the ground, not bothering to look up when she was taken to her new room, and she only murmured a soft greeting when Arthur and Merlin first saw her. Something inside Merlin made him want to hold her and say everything would be okay, but he didn't know why, nor did he think he was the right person to do so. He'd lost his parents too, sure, but he'd never really known them. Morgana's parents were kind souls- he didn't know if his ever were.

He and Arthur sat in their room, awake, even though it was well past their bedtime. Their servant, George- who was boring, but at least he kept secrets- had brought them a late night snack little over an hour ago. Merlin had his spell book open on his lap, trying to memorize words but failing miserably. Arthur only watched with mild interest, munching an apple. He had seen Merlin practice spells before, but it was really only entertaining during the actual practice- otherwise he was just reading.

"Merlin?"

"Hm?" The younger boy glanced up from his book.

"I was thinking… if Morgana is gonna live with us now, won't we have to tell her about your magic?"

Merlin frowned and closed the book. "I asked Father. He said we should keep it a secret for a while. She can't handle any more shocks." He traced his fingers along a spell for animating still objects. "But one day, I can tell her."

"Huh…" They lapsed into silence. Merlin, now exhausted, replaced his book in its hiding place under his bed. He'd used magic to carve the rock of the floor into a perfect-sized hole, which the book lay in, and covered it with the remaining rock and a rug, for good measure.

"It doesn't seem right to keep things from her, though," Arthur finally said. Merlin didn't reply; he only hummed noncommittally and settled himself under the covers of his bed. Arthur did the same.

"We'll play with her tomorrow." Merlin said, staring straight at the ceiling.

"And we won't take no for an answer."

They both grinned, and with a single incantation, Merlin blew out all the candles and the brothers slipped away into sleep.

* * *

The next morning, they dressed and headed for Morgana's chambers, half-expecting her to still be curled up in bed. Arthur raised his hand to knock at the door, but just before his knuckles connected to the wood, they heard the distinct laughter of two girls.

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, the latter shrugging as the former quirked an eyebrow.

"Morgana?" the blond called.

"Come in," she replied, followed by another laugh.

They entered her room. Morgana was sitting on her four-poster bed, and seated next to her, holding a brush to her hair, was another girl they had never seen before. The stranger smiled nervously and set the brush down.

"Arthur, Merlin," Morgana started, "I'd like you to meet Guinevere. She's my new maidservant."

Guinevere curtsied, keeping her gaze to the ground. She peeked up through her eyelashes at the Princes.

"Hello," Merlin smiled.

She immediately turned red, which almost made Merlin chuckle, but he kept quiet. "H-Hello, Your Highness." She turned to Arthur. "A-And hello to you too, Your Highness."

Merlin looked at his brother. The older Prince stared at Guinevere, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Merlin recalled Arthur describing a similar reaction he had to Morgana and snickered; he elbowed Arthur's arm.

"Er, ah, hello, Guinevere. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, please, Your Highness, call me Gwen." She smiled widely, showing off her perfect white teeth, which apparently had a profound effect on Arthur, who pinked.

"Is there something you two wanted?" asked Morgana, who was smiling; Merlin assumed she enjoyed Arthur's reaction to Gwen as much as he had.

"Right," said Arthur, a little too quickly as he tore his gaze from Gwen. "We wanted to play Knights today. And we need a princess."

Morgana pouted. "I told you, I hate being the damsel in distress! I'm ten times better at sword fighting than the two of you combined, anyway."

Arthur snorted. "Better than Merlin, certainly, but that's not saying much." Merlin frowned and rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything contrary.

"I'm not going to be the princess," she said conclusively, and crossed her arms with a huff.

The blonde groaned, opening his mouth for another round of protests- then he halted. "What about Guinevere, then?"

"What?" The three children asked at once. Gwen's eyes had become the size of saucers.

"Gwen could be the princess. Then all three of us could save her," Arthur stated, as if it were an obvious solution.

Merlin was the first to speak. "Actually… Yes, that would work." He turned to Gwen. The maid's mouth was silently moving, no words willing to come out. "That is, if she's alright with it." He flashed another smile at her, and she reddened once more.

"I-I…"

"Yes, Gwen should definitely play too!" Morgana jumped up from the bed. "Please Gwen?"

"Er… I-If it's alright with you all," she said humbly.

Arthur grinned. "Then let's go!"

* * *

Merlin collapsed in his bed, Arthur following suit. Yet the young prince wore a smile on his dirt-covered face.

Morgana convinced Merlin to play the part of the evil knight, who had kidnapped the fair Lady Guinevere- a title at which the servant, again, blushed- and held her captive at his "castle" (which was actually the opposite side of the courtyard). Arthur and Morgana were the good knights tasked with rescuing her. Merlin thought it was rather unfair, since their combined talent wiped the floor with him, but he didn't complain. He spent a majority of the time running around the courtyard with Gwen trailing behind him, their hands connected so she could keep up. The maid seemed to have fun, too, if her laughing were any indication.

"Gwen is really nice, isn't she?" Merlin murmured into his pillow. Arthur grunted and turned over, prompting his brother to look at him curiously.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," he hissed. Merlin frowned.

"That's doesn't sound fine… Do you not like Gwen?" It didn't seem likely, as Arthur was quite taken with her at first.

"Guinevere's fine. Lovely, really. Now let me sleep."

"Um, okay. Goodnight, Arthur."

"Night."

Merlin adjusted in his bed, closing his eyes. Maybe Arthur was just tired, he thought. Or maybe he was just upset that it took longer than usual to beat Merlin at Knights today. The child pushed his concern to the back of his mind; Arthur would be back to normal tomorrow morning.

The young prince drifted off into sleep…

"_Merlin."_

His eyes shot open, blue tinged with apprehensive fear, but of what, he didn't know. A voice called to him; a dark, growling voice that he swore he heard before. He looked over to Arthur, who was asleep peacefully in his bed. He didn't hear it.

Merlin frowned. "Probably just hearing things…" he said to himself. Repeating that in his mind like a mantra, the Prince settled back and slept dreamlessly.

* * *

**Uh-oh, we know what this means... As always, tell me what you think, and please point out any errors you may see. And yes, I do love those line breaks.**

**Next Chapter: We jump ahead 6 years to the Annual Tournament, and when Merlin suspects a trusted knight is using magic, will he be able to tell?**


	6. Valiant Part I

**What what. Figured it was time for another chapter, especially after finishing my exams and what-not. SO! Chapter five: Wherein Merlin has a lot of stuff going on, as per usual. And you know, it's only gonna get worse (sorry Merlin).**

**Yes, this is based off the S1 episode Valiant, so you pretty much know what's gonna happen.**

* * *

_**Six Years Later…**_

Six years passed since Lady Morgana came to live at the castle, and as far as any citizen was concerned, Camelot couldn't be a better place. Since Cenred's army no longer loomed threateningly near their borders (as the Magic Ban had spread to such a degree that it was no longer necessary to enforce it so harshly) the people were able to relax and enjoy their lives. They had a gracious King and Queen, two incredibly endearing teenage princes, and a lovely and kind girl as the King's Ward. Everything was perfect.

Well, almost.

Merlin tried and failed to hold back a yawn, ignoring the look Arthur gave him when he covered his mouth with his hand. They were standing in the Throne Room, listening to their father discuss matters with all manner of people, from nobles to peasants, about different problems they wished him to address, which included prices for crops, the state of the livestock, etcetera... As per usual, it was nothing exciting.

It was a restless night for the youngest prince, although it was not the first. Over the years, Merlin began hearing the same voice in his head at night. It never said anything important at first, just his name, and just once. Then the voice became increasingly verbose, though Merlin could never make any sense of the words it spoke. He caught bits and pieces, like "destiny" and "fate", but that didn't help clarify things. Because of the uncertain nature of the voice, he never told Arthur or his father about it.

It wasn't until Ygraine, in her ever-present motherly worry, pointed out the dark circles under her adopted son's eyes that Uther ordered Gaius to make the young prince a sleeping draught.

The draught helped minimally, really. Morgana had told him so before he even took it- she had to take them because she suffered from nightmares, presumably caused by her grief over her parents. Yet they both refrained from saying so to be polite to Gaius, whose work was otherwise incomparable. So Merlin lied when Uther asked about the voice, saying it was mostly gone, and felt a little guilty at his father's relieved sigh.

He caught Morgana's eyes from her position opposite Ygraine, to his right. She offered a warm smile, which he returned, albeit tiredly. Another interesting development over the years was his relationship with the Lady Morgana. The few times they were alone without Arthur or Gwen, they would simply talk and laugh, and every time Merlin almost told her about his magic. It was only at Uther's insistence that she was kept in the dark. "When she's ready to know, I'll tell you," he had said. Merlin had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. Uther was certainly more protective of Morgana than he had ever been with him or Arthur- though he supposed that in having a daughter, that was a given. In any case, she seemed well ready to know the family secret.

As he dwelled on this, he didn't notice the Court's dismissal and jolted when Arthur slapped him on the shoulder.

"Good Lord, Merlin, I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep like a horse." Instead of being annoyed, Merlin held back a giggle.

"A horse?"

"Yes. You know, because they sleep standing up."

"I know, but that was such a strange metaphor. Congratulations on knowing something, though." Arthur punched his shoulder in jest.

"Anyway, when you weren't drifting off or making mushy eyes at Morgana," he smiled at Merlin's blush, "you probably didn't hear Father mention the Tournament we have to prepare for."

Merlin groaned. "Again?"

"It's an annual Tournament, Merlin."

"I know, but… You remember last year, don't you?" he glowered. Arthur instantly let out a bark of laughter.

Last year, the boys had become of age to enter the Tournament. Arthur fared well, but Merlin… Well, he lost his second match (which, to be fair, was better than Arthur expected him to do). The younger prince accepted defeat graciously, though, earning him respect from the people. Arthur ended up winning when he beat Sir Valiant in the final round.

"Relax, you've gotten better... Somewhat."

"Thanks," he replied sarcastically. The Princes had left the Throne Room and were walking to the Tournament Grounds to help with the preparations.

"Good news is, father is thinking of adding Archery as a side competition ."

At this, Merlin's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"He must want you to redeem yourself from last year," Arthur teased.

"Hey, you know perfectly well I could wipe the floor with you if I wanted."

"Ah, but that, dear brother, is against the law. And technically, cheating."

Merlin pouted, biting back a retort as they saw Sir Valiant approach. He'd be honest and say he didn't really get along with the knight; it seemed to be a mutual dislike, as Valiant smiled and bowed to Arthur and only nodded at him.

"Good morning Sires," he greeted. "Preparing for the Tournament?"

"Yes, Valiant, we were actually going to help set up the stands and such," Arthur replied.

"Ah, well, than I won't keep you. I have preparations of my own, after all." He smiled wickedly, which surprised Merlin, although his older brother didn't seem to notice.

"Training?"

"A training of sorts… I don't plan to lose again, My Lord. See you in the finals," Valiant smirked. He walked past the Princes with a confident strut, and while Arthur merely shrugged, Merlin felt an uneasy weight settle in his stomach.

* * *

It was the end of the week, and the Tournament had arrived. Merlin slept surprisingly well, having normal dreams and no voice to be heard. He felt rather confident, especially since Uther had indeed added Archery to the list of activities. Several of the knights, both from Camelot and those visiting from other kingdoms, were good at the skill, but Merlin knew he was better- not that he was arrogant about it.

The citizens were arranged in the stands, all shouting encouraging cheers to the fighters. Another bonus that contributed to Merlin's good mood was that Uther allowed him to withdraw from the actual sword fighting part of the Tournament, although he asked several times if he was sure. So he watched from the Royal Box, seated next to his parents, and clapped politely as Sir Ewan claimed victory.

"It's about time for the Archery Round, Merlin," Uther said. Merlin smiled and nodded, standing up to leave and prepare. Morgana looked over at him, eyebrows raised.

"You'll miss Arthur's match," she spoke.

"I won't miss much. They'll clash swords for a bit, and then Arthur will win. Just watch."

"Good luck, dear," Ygraine smiled.

"Thank you Mother." The Prince departed from the Royal Box, ready to compete.

As he grabbed his longbow, arrows, and arm guard from the armory, he heard the roar of the crowd and grinned. Arthur had obviously won. He walked back to the Dueling Pitch, where several targets lay in a row, and some of the other competitors were lining up to take their shots. He took his place among them.

"And now, our competitors will face off in a new addition to our Tournament," The King called over the crowd, "the Archery Competition!" The spectators cheered.

Merlin was the third to start, and after the first two knights (both from Camelot) managed to hit fairly close to the X Ring, he was felt a surge of calm. His turn came around. Merlin drew the bow back, took aim, and released the arrow into the wind.

A _thunk _signified the arrow hitting the target, and the applause that followed told him that he had hit the center dead-on. The prince looked up at the Royal Box and saw past his parent's proud faces, meeting Morgana's impressed gaze instead. She inclined her head towards him, a cheery smile lighting up her features. Merlin felt his cheeks go hot and he looked away.

The other archers were slowly eliminated, the worst scorers going first, and soon Merlin found himself against only one other man. He was a foreigner to Camelot, but even Merlin had to admit the man was skilled.

The man went first, aiming at the one of the two targets left on the field- the others were removed as the competition went on. He hit the X Ring slightly off-center and took a step back to wave to the crowd. Merlin swallowed. The man gave him a haughty look and gestured to his target.

'Alright Merlin, let's do this…' He took a deep breath and aimed, closing one eye. The crowd waited with bated breath, wondering if their second prince could claim victory. The arrow was released.

It hit the bull's-eye- Merlin's knees nearly gave out as the masses applauded. A wave of liberation washed over him. The adrenaline had drained him so much that he barely registered shaking the (disgruntled) man's hand and the knights of Camelot offering their congratulations. Merlin made his way back to the Royal Box, his head swimming. He only snapped out of this dreamlike state when Sir Valiant approached him again.

"Congratulations, Sire," he sneered.

The Prince narrowed his eyes. "Thank you, Valiant… Are you up next?"

"Yes, as the _real_ Tournament gets underway. Wish me luck." The bearded knight started forward, but was stopped by Merlin.

"… Is that a new shield?"

Valiant tensed. He did indeed have a new shield- it was pale yellow and had the image of three entangled snakes emblazoned upon it. "What of it?" he growled. "That's not against the rules."

"No, it's fine, I just…" Valiant pushed past the Prince with nothing more than a grunt.

Merlin glowered; Valiant wasn't doing anything to curry any favors with the young prince, that was for sure. For some reason, Merlin felt the need to stay behind in the wings to watch Valiant's match.

It had started off fairly simply; Valiant traded a few blows with his opponent, Sir Ewan, who parried them back. They were both decently skilled, Merlin thought, though not as good as Arthur…

Valiant was suddenly knocked on his back, eliciting a gasp from the spectators. Merlin couldn't help but chuckle. 'Serves you right.'

Just as Ewan was to deliver the winning strike, Valiant rolled away and jumped up, using his shield to ram against his opponent. The two were locked in a struggle to knock the other down.

Valiant moved his mouth almost imperceptibly, but Merlin caught him and gasped; one of the snakes moved its head out of the shield and bit into Sir Ewan's neck. The knight collapsed, leaving the crowd in uproarious applause, unaware of what had really happened.

Merlin was rooted in his spot, shocked. Had Valiant… used magic? Valiant, who was loyal to his father and to the law as a knight of Camelot? But…

Said man began to walk back the Prince's way, prompting him to run like mad back to the Royal Box. He had to tell someone- Uther, or Arthur, most likely. But as he sat down in his seat (trembling, though no one noticed), he found he could not speak the words. Uther and Ygraine applauded with bright smiles, proud of the great battle they had just seen. He felt a tap at his shoulder, and he jumped, swerving his head to face Morgana. She pulled her hand back with her eyebrows raised.

"M-Morgana," he stuttered.

"Yes, that's me," she replied with an entertained smile. "I just, well, wanted to say congratulations. You were very impressive. Your archery, I mean…" Morgana looked down; Merlin convinced himself that the red playing on her cheeks was merely the result of the sun's exposure. He also reaffirmed that the same was for him.

"T-Thank you. It, ah, felt good to… win."

She only grinned in response, and returned to her seat. Merlin had a small, shy smile on his face, which came off promptly when his mother smirked and winked at him. He sank lower into his chair.

* * *

Instead of attending the after-Tournament banquet, which was held every night for the Tournament's duration, Merlin ran to Gaius's quarters, with little explanation to Arthur. The physician was busy, as he always was during this time of year.

Gaius looked up from his tending to a knight who had suffered a rather nasty cut to the shoulder during his fight. Other competitors were lying in beds, with varying degrees of wounds. The ones that were not asleep bowed their heads in respect to their prince.

"My Lord," Gaius inclined his head as well, smiling as Merlin waved back awkwardly. "Is there something wrong? You're usually at the banquet by now."

"Oh, well, I'm not too hungry at the moment… I was, uh, wondering if I could help at all?"

At this, the physician quirked an eyebrow. He was used to the boy offering assistance, but his nervous demeanor was suspicious. Merlin was terrible at hiding his emotions.

Gaius finished dressing the knight's wound and straightened himself. "Of course, if you really want to." He then gave his patient some instructions so his injury could properly heal and made his way over to the prince. He whispered in a voice low enough that the patients could not hear them- not that they would eavesdrop on royalty.

"What are you really doing here, Merlin?"

Merlin was taken aback by the physician's sudden question. "I-I told you, I want to help out. You're always busy during the Tournament, so…"

Gaius sighed. "Merlin, you are an exceedingly kind Prince, but do you honestly expect me to believe you'd rather be wrapping bandages on bloody knights than gawking at Morgana in her new banquet dress?"

The Prince pinked. "I do not gawk at her!"

"Merlin."

He frowned, deciding it was no use trying to fool Gaius. The physician had scary intuition…

"How is Sir Ewan?" he finally asked, looking away from the older man's stern gaze. "He didn't… He didn't look too good at the end of his battle with Sir Valiant."

"Ah…" Realization dawned over Gaius. "Sir Ewan is asleep at the moment in the backroom. There is indeed something… peculiar about his condition. I'm surprised you noticed it, My Lord."

"Mmhm…" Merlin only nodded.

He went on. "Yes, he's been feeling rather faint since his battle, and in addition to his nausea, he was complaining about numbness in his arms. All symptoms commonly associated with…"

"Snake venom?" Merlin finished, feeling dread overtake his body. Gaius shot him a look.

"How on earth did you figure that out?"

Suddenly Merlin stepped forward, bowing his head and speaking as low as he could; the words tumbled out of his mouth excitedly.

"I saw Valiant. I mean, I saw him use magic… His new shield, I think it's enchanted, and when he thought he was going to lose, he used it to poison Sir Ewan."

"My Lord, that's a very serious accusation… Are you certain?"

"Gaius, I know magic when I see it."

There was no refuting that, certainly. "Have you told your father?"

"Not yet. I wanted to be certain… And I'll need proof."

"How are you planning to get that?"

Merlin thought for a moment. Then he brightened as an idea came to him. "There was an animation spell in the Grimoire! I can use that to try and get one of the heads!"

The physician nodded, but looked visibly concerned. "While that may work, it wounds incredibly dangerous, Merlin." The young prince's face fell. Gaius coughed into his hand. "However, I do need the snake's venom for an antidote."

"I'll get right on it," he grinned. Then, as an afterthought, "I'll tell Arthur. He can back me up. Thank you, Gaius!"

"Be careful," Gaius muttered, but the prince had already bounded out of the door.

* * *

"I don't know, Merlin, it just doesn't seem plausible."

"What part of it, exactly?"

The two princes were in their room, sitting on Merlin's bed and speaking in low voices. Merlin told his brother his suspicions about Sir Valiant, and Arthur reacted just about the way he had expected him to.

"Valiant has been a trusted Knight of Camelot for as long as I can remember. He's never questioned my father, and he would never break the law like this."

Merlin bit his lip, trying to think of an answer. "Well… Maybe he's just desperate. You did beat him last year."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"If you were reigning champion for three years straight, only to lose to a newcomer prince, how would you feel?"

The blonde did not have a comeback to that, but he still huffed indignantly. "Now you're just making him sound like a petty fool who cares only for winning. There has to be more than that."

Merlin looked down at his shoes. So Gaius only half-believed him, and Arthur didn't seem to believe him at all. The prospects of telling his father were looking low. Arthur noticed his brother's dejected stare.

"Look, Merlin, I'm not saying something isn't up… I mean, a snakebite? That's suspicious. Just… Maybe it's not Valiant?"

Merlin glanced upwards. "What do you mean?"

"What if a sorcerer is enchanting him, or, or someone sold him that shield and he doesn't know about the snakes?"

"I _saw _his lips move. He moved the snakes on his own. Arthur, please, I need check his shield. If I'm wrong… I'll apologize to Valiant myself."

"Hm…" Arthur considered this. "Alright. I'll help you. Tomorrow, before my match, I'll take a look at the shield and ask Valiant a few questions… Than after the banquet, we'll both go and you can use your magic on it."

The younger raised an eyebrow. "Why after the banquet? Shouldn't we do it as soon as possible?"

Arthur got up and moved to his own bed. "Maybe, but Father is upset that you missed today's. He said he had something to discuss with you."

"What was it?"

He shrugged. "He said it was a private matter. Mind you, Morgana seemed disappointed you weren't there, too. Apparently, according to Guinevere, she wouldn't stop bringing you up. " He grinned.

Merlin flushed a dark shade of red. "A-Ah… I-I should probably go tomorrow, then…"

"Probably. Goodnight, lovebird."

Before Merlin could protest his new nickname, Arthur threw a pillow at him and settled into bed. Merlin frowned and did the same, extinguishing the candles with magic as he mentally prepared himself for the morning.

* * *

**GOD I hope Arthur sounds okay. I don't know how to write prattish princes. As always, read, review, etcetera, etcetera.**

**Next Chapter: The King and Queen make a life-changing announcement to their adopted son, Merlin and Arthur kill some snakes, and Gwen is a freaking awesome friend.**


	7. Valiant Part II

**WOO SPRING BREAK! Writing all day, every day!**

**Here's the second installment of the Valiant story; only one more part, then we move on! Guess which story I'm doing next?**

**On an unrelated note, has anyone played Merlin: The Game on facebook? OMG it's so fun. Merlin is such a cutie-patootie.**

* * *

Morning came, although Merlin's body refused to accept so, as he had yawned seven (and counting) times before they even finished breakfast. Uther had definitely taken notice. As they took their seats in the Royal Box, Ygraine and Morgana absent for the moment, he turned to his adopted son.

"Son," he said, but Merlin stared straight ahead, his eyes drooping a bit. "Merlin!"

The prince jumped. "Ah! Y-yes, Father?" He attempted to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Have you been taking your sleeping draught? You look awful."

"Oh, well, not last night." Or the night before that, or the nights before that… Of course, he didn't say so to Uther.

"Why not?"

"I was just really exhausted from the Tournament," he lied, "so I thought I didn't need it. It was already past midnight when I discovered otherwise, and I did not want to wake Gaius."

"I see… Well, make sure to take it tonight."

"I will, thank you, Father." Merlin blinked, remembering something. "Oh, Arthur said there was something you wanted to discuss with me?"

Uther smiled. "Yes. But we'll save that for the banquet tonight."

The Queen and Lady Morgana filed into the Royal Box and took their seats. Ygraine gave Uther a quick kiss on the cheek before doing the same for her son. Morgana smiled graciously.

"Have you told him?" Ygraine asked.

"I'm saving it for the banquet," he replied, still smiling.

"Told him what?" Morgana leaned forward in her chair.

"Oh, just a little discussion we must have. It deals with the kingdom, that sort of thing." Uther paused. "Although, it concerns you as well, Morgana."

"What?" Both Morgana and Merlin asked. They looked at each other and blushed, which apparently amused the King and Queen.

"Don't worry about it for now. Let's just hope Merlin shows up tonight," Ygraine teased.

"Mother…"

The competitors paraded onto the grounds, signaling Uther to stand and start the second day of the Tournament. Merlin caught Arthur's stare.

Arthur frowned and nodded his head towards Valiant. He had found something. Then he looked away from his brother and to his father; it became clear to Merlin that he would push the matter of Valiant from his head until evening came.

* * *

As the Archery competition was over, Merlin stayed in the Royal Box the entire day, making light conversation with his parents and Morgana- the topics ranged from the battles to the contestants, but the two teenagers always tried to bring up the "discussion" they would have later. Uther and Ygraine would smile at each other and refuse to give anything away, which in turn spurred further questions.

So of course, Merlin and Morgana were anxious for the Tournament day to finish so they could hurry to the banquet. They sat next to each other at the head table, glancing at each other every so often, wondering when Uther would speak up. They were so focused, in fact, that they failed to notice Arthur chatting pleasantly with Gwen- something they would usually tease the two about.

Merlin had actually forced himself to concentrate on the talk, rather than the Valiant issue; he was sure Arthur had found something to confirm his suspicions, and it was causing the young prince's chest to tighten uncomfortably. He hadn't seen Valiant use the shield today, and he was watching _very _carefully; he was probably being cautious now.

Uther tapped his shoulder and gestured to the hallway. Ygraine was doing something similar to Morgana, and soon all four were heading out, Merlin feeling Arthur's stare as they left. They walked silently to the Council Chambers, the only sound being the click of their shoes against the stone cold floor.

The group reached their destination, and as the door shut behind them, Morgana finally allowed herself to speak.

"Alright, we've waited all night," she started, putting her hands on her hips. "What is this announcement?"

Uther looked to Ygraine and the royal couple shared another secretive smile. Then, he turned to his son. "As you two know, the Tournament is a time for celebration." Merlin nodded slowly, not understanding what he was getting at. "Camelot is never united together stronger than during the Tournament. As such, it is an excellent time to announce the engagement of one of their princes."

Merlin blinked owlishly. With an eyebrow raised, he asked, "Arthur is getting married?"

Ygraine let out a soft laugh. "No, Merlin, it is you who is getting engaged."

The young prince's mouth fell open, as did Morgana's. "Wha- but, to who?"

"Yes, who?" repeated Morgana, indignant. Merlin tried to not feel too pleased.

The Queen gave an impish grin, looking pointedly towards Morgana. "Who else would be suitable but the King's Ward?"

"WHAT?!" the two teenagers shouted; a furious shade of red painted both of their faces.

"No need to sound so excited," remarked Uther. "Of course, the two of you know arranged marriages to be normal among nobility. Being a prince does not exempt you from that."

Merlin swallowed the lump in his throat. "Y-Yes, I know that, b-but…"

"You cannot just… betroth us to each other!" Morgana yelled. "Not like this, so suddenly-!"

"You're not getting married now," Ygraine explained, trying to calm her husband's ward. "It will be on your twentieth birthday."

"But…" Merlin faltered, glancing at Morgana. She was looking at him desperately. "Why us? Why _me? _Shouldn't Arthur get married first? He's the oldest!"

"Yes, but we will find Arthur a wife when there is someone… compatible with him. Regardless, Vivienne has already sent her agreement, so there's really no one objecting this union."

"My mother?" Morgana whispered. Lady Vivienne was still quite ill, but she did write to her daughter every month… She made no indications towards a desire to see Morgana wed. How long did she know about this?

"We actually discussed this back when you were younger. Gorlois agreed that if he could not find another suitor for Morgana, nor we for Merlin, you two would be engaged when you turned sixteen."

"My father too? Did everyone know about this but us?"

"Morgana-!" Uther began, but his ward cut him off.

"I can't believe this!" She hissed, but it was mostly to herself; the Lady Morgana burst past the royal family, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. Merlin felt a sharp stab in his chest. Was she really so averse to the idea of marriage? Or… was it marrying Merlin that bothered her?

Ygraine turned to Uther, who nodded, and ran after Morgana. Uther let out a heaving sigh and collapsed in one of the chairs at the council table. Merlin followed suit, his mind still reeling.

"You are right, you know," Uther said. "Arthur should be betrothed first. But, you know how he is, Merlin. He's not ready for a family."

Merlin made a non-committal noise; there was no denying that, certainly.

His father continued. "And the kingdom needs to be ensured that, god forbid something happen to Arthur, there needs to be a back-up plan."

"And Morgana and I… are the back-up plan?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds so… political. Merlin, your mother and I made this choice to ensure a safe future for Camelot, but we also tried to be considerate." Uther folded his hands together on the table. "When I became engaged to Ygraine, I had barely even spoken to her. The first few months were… horribly awkward, to say the least. While we came to love each other completely, we weren't keen on the idea of marrying a stranger. You and Morgana aren't strangers."

"Yes, but… We're friends, Father, nothing more." Merlin murmured the last part to himself, but Uther heard.

"Really? Merlin, I'm not daft. I do see how you look at her."

"I…" Merlin sighed. "It's going to change everything. I can't even just say hello to her, knowing that one day we'll be married."

"I understand. Ygraine and I honestly thought you'd be happy about this… But we can't take it back." He looked at his son sternly. "Work this out, please. If not for your relationship with her, do it for Camelot."

Gray eyes searched blue, desperate for acquiescence. The prince sighed again. "Alright, Father. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you," Uther replied earnestly. The King got up from his seat. "Well, we should be off to bed. The Tournament concludes tomorrow, after all."

Merlin's heart jumped; the Tournament! In the midst of the bizarre announcement, he'd completely forgotten about Valiant!

"Right, to bed," Merlin agreed hurriedly. He rushed to the door and held it open for Uther. The King stood in the doorway, staring at his son.

"You do realize, Merlin, marrying Morgana means she'll be a part of the family. Officially."

"Yes?"

"So… We can finally tell her the family secret." Uther smiled, said goodnight, and left for his chambers. Merlin stood in his place.

The family secret… His magic.

* * *

"Morgana, please, we just-!"

"I'd rather not speak to you right now, My Queen." Morgana bit out her words with stiff formality, practically tearing her chamber door of its hinges, which effectively startled Gwen, who was preparing her bed.

Ygraine frowned, the action so unnatural on her face that Morgana was almost compelled to apologize. Yet the ward held her ground. After a moment, Ygraine curtsied.

"I understand… Have a good night, dear." The Queen sent an imploring look to the maid, who stood, still shocked, in the center of the room.

"Good night, My Queen." She did not curtsy back.

As soon as Ygraine rounded the corner in the hallway, Morgana slammed her door shut and threw herself onto her bed. Gwen sat next to her and tentatively reached for her lady's shoulder.

"Morgana, is everything alright?"

"No, it's really not…" Her words were muffled by layers of soft fabric, but Gwen could tell her friend was crying.

"What is it? Was the announcement that bad?"

Sniffling, Morgana sat up. Her eyes were circled with tears, her nose red. "It… It wasn't awful, really. Oh, Gwen, what should I do?"

She relayed the King and Queen's announcement to the maid- she and Merlin were engaged. Gwen listened with nothing more than wide eyes. She didn't seem as surprised as Morgana felt.

"I… see… Pardon, Morgana, but why are you so upset?" Morgana looked at her incredulously. She quickly reiterated. "I mean, don't you like Merlin? I think he'd be a good husband…"

"I do Gwen, but that's the problem. I like him, certainly, but we're still so young! What if… it's not love?"

"I'm afraid I still don't understand…"

"How can I be his wife if I don't love him, if we're nothing more than friends? What if I find someone I truly love? Gwen, how could I live with myself if I betrayed our marriage?" The Lady let more tears slip from her jade eyes as she breathed in and out erratically.

"Morgana, slow down!" Gwen held the fairer-skinned teenager's hands in her own. "You're worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet!" Morgana took a deep breath. Gwen smiled. "Now, let me ask you… What if the opposite happens? What if you come to love Merlin, as much as King Uther loves the Queen?"

"I..." She cast her emerald eyes down, her cheeks reddening. Her maid huffed.

"And then, what if Merlin finds a woman he cares for more than you? How would you feel?"

Morgana looked up. Gwen kept herself from giggling at the horrified look on her lady's face. She really hadn't thought about her own feelings- she was too focused on hurting Merlin's.

"Anyway, you and Merlin will be fine. A match made in heaven, really."

"How are you so sure?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Anyone with eyes can see you two fancy each other. Even as kids. I was quite jealous of you, you know."

"Jealous…?"

"I had the biggest crush on Merlin when we were kids…" Even now, she blushed. "But it became clear after a year or so he only had eyes for one girl: you."

"Oh, Gwen, I didn't realize…"

She waved her hands, dismissive. "I got over it a long time ago. We're better off as friends."

Morgana offered a half-hearted smile. She squeezed Gwen's hands, and the action comforted her. "You're a really good friend, Gwen." She always had been; she was the first person who could make Morgana smile since the death of her father, and she would always be grateful for that.

She shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "I know. Now, let's get you ready for bed."

Morgana finally allowed herself to show a full, genuine smile. Now she only had to face Merlin in the morning.

* * *

"There you are!" Arthur stood up, nearly knocking over his chair as Merlin wearily stepped inside their room. His brother grunted and collapsed on his bed.

"I… imagine it was a very eventful discussion?"

Another grunt. Arthur groaned, frustrated. He'd been waiting for an hour, maybe more, for Merlin to return. "So are we just forgetting about Valiant now? Because I have something very important to tell you, but if you're too tired for it, then fine."

"Arthur…"

"It's not like I feel betrayed by one of the men I thought I could trust the most. No, certainly not."

"Arthur!"

"And I really don't need to turn to my younger brother for support, that's just silly-!"

"Morgana and I are engaged."

"I mean- What?" Arthur immediately stopped his rant. He stared, wide-eyed, at Merlin, who was still lying down, face-up.

"Mother and Father told us. We're getting married. When I turn twenty." Merlin grimaced. "And she got upset and ran out."

Suddenly Arthur's face grew solemn. "Oh." He coughed. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Merlin sat up and rubbed tiredly at his temples. "I don't really want to dwell on it. So," he exhaled, "what happened with Valiant?"

"Valiant?" Arthur blinked. Then recognition dawned upon him. "Oh! Right!" He sat next to Merlin on the bed; the oldest prince spoke quietly, even though they were alone.

"So the competitors were getting ready in the armory, and I noticed Valiant in the corner. He looked like he was having trouble with his shield, so I went over and asked if he needed help." He paused, waiting for Merlin's affirmation to continue. "He sort of jolted, like I had screamed at him, hid his shield behind his back, and said no. But I heard it, Merlin. The damn thing… hissed at me."

"Hissed?"

"Clear as day. And I think one of the heads was bobbing, but he moved it away too quickly for me to see properly."

"Hmm…" Merlin folded his arms over his chest. "He was nervous?" Arthur nodded. "Then that probably means he can't control the magic very well. He must have bought it somewhere…"

The blond frowned, his face tinged with sadness. "I just can't believe Valiant would do this. And Sir Ewan was poisoned by him! I thought they were friends!"

"Well, we won't understand his motives unless we catch and interrogate him. Let's go," he finished, standing up. Arthur looked at him curiously.

"Go where?"

"To the armory. I'll bet his shield's there."

"Why?"

"Gaius needs venom from the snake to cure Sir Ewan. So let's get that venom." He strode out of their room, Arthur following close behind (still asking questions).

They managed to bypass the guards and entered the armory with little problem. Merlin had Arthur point out the shield, whose yellow paint seemed particularly gaudy in the dark. Sure enough, as they neared it, they heard small whispers of hisses echoing in the room. Merlin raised his hand towards the shield, ignoring the growing volume of the hisses. His eyes glowed gold.

"_Bebiede þe arisan cwicum," _he chanted. At first, nothing happened, and Arthur was discouraged that the spell didn't work, but Merlin kept his eyes on the shield. One of the snakes began to move, coiling around the other before it suddenly burst from the wooden surface. Arthur reacted quickly as Merlin jumped back; he grabbed a dagger from a rack and slashed at the beast.

As over as soon as it began, the snake's head lolled on the ground, its body retreating back into the shield, incomplete. Now there was only the sound of one snake's hisses.

Merlin paused. 'One?'

"Arthur…" Merlin wore a look of terror. His older brother, who was picking the snake head up and depositing it in the bag Merlin had brought, looked apprehensive.

"What now?"

"Weren't there… three snakes?"

Only one reptile, plus its decapitated brother, lay within the wood.

The brothers took only a moment before breaking into a run towards Gaius's quarters.

* * *

Gaius ambled around his workspace with worry trailing his every step. Ever since Merlin announced his suspicion of Sir Valiant, Sir Ewan had been getting progressively worse. His symptoms worsened, and the knight was currently holding a high fever. If Merlin did not retrieve the venom, Sir Ewan would-

"Gaius!"

Merlin rushed through the doorway, Arthur on his heels.

"Gaius, Sir Ewan is in trouble," said Arthur. He produced the bag containing the snake's head and tossed it to the physician. Gaius caught it with a dubious look, still shocked from the princes' dramatic entrance.

Merlin, meanwhile, ran to the back room where Sir Ewan lay. The knight was covered with damp sweat, and his chest was barely moving. The young prince had no time to let out a sigh of relief, as a shadow cast itself over Ewan's body- it was the missing snake. It reared its vile head and opened its mouth to strike. Merlin acted without hesitation.

"_Ástríce_!" His eyes went gold again as the snake flew backwards, as though knocked back by a powerful gust of wind. It crumpled on the ground, dead.

Gaius and Arthur followed the prince into the room, Gaius gasping upon seeing the snake's body.

Arthur smiled at his brother, who attempted to return it, but instead collapsed on the floor. He heard only blurs of Gaius and Arthur's voices, and before his vision turned black, another darkly familiar voice chuckled inside his mind.

"_Well done, Young Warlock. Though, a bit overdone, if you ask me."_

In spite of himself, Merlin snickered.

"_Regardless, your task is almost complete. Rest now, Young Warlock…"_

'No complaining here…' he thought, though he wasn't sure the voice could hear him. Ignoring Arthur's pleas to stay awake, the young prince fell unconscious.

* * *

**Oh no! What has happened to our beloved warlock prince?**

**Next chapter: Everything is wrapped up and seemingly getting better, but trouble looms over the horizon for Camelot's Royal Family.**


	8. Loose Ends

**Heeey. So this is the resolution to the Valiant story- you had no idea how much I didn't want to call it "Valiant III". I stressed for like, ten minutes on the title before consulting my dad and we decided on "Loose Ends". Because some loose ends are tied up, but more are added.**

* * *

Merlin had never awoken to pure silence before. Usually, someone woke him up, be it Arthur yelling in his ear or their manservant gently and stiffly uttering a good morning. But when he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of his ceiling and nothing else. No Arthur, no George, and not even a single tweet from the birds outside. The entire castle, it seemed, was dead quiet.

The young prince sat up, groaning in pain as his head throbbed in protest. He cradled it in his hands and tried to recall the events of last night… Then his head shot up again, but he ignored the pain, clambering out of bed. Images of Valiant's shield, the decapitated snake, and Sir Ewan on his deathbed began to rush and blend together in his mind.

Merlin threw the door and open and barged out, only to collide into the solid mass known as George. The prince stumbled back, but luckily managed to stay on his feet.

"Good morning Sire," George said in his typical monotone.

"Agh, George…? What are you doing here?"

The servant raised an eyebrow. "I have been checking up on you, My Lord. You've been unconscious for about twelve hours now."

Twelve hours? "What about the Tournament? Where's Arthur?" Merlin again attempted to push past George into the hallway, but the servant stood in place stubbornly.

"The Tournament is going on as we speak; Prince Arthur is fighting right now." He began to push the prince back to his bed. "Now, the King himself told me to make sure you stay in bed."

Merlin tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice- he liked George well enough, but sometimes he followed orders a little too thoroughly. "Why?"

"I did not question him; he is the King." George made the Prince settle back into bed with as much force as he deemed appropriate and bowed. "I will inform him that you've awoken. Try and get some rest, Sire."

"Right…"

"And there are guards outside the door, in case you were thinking of getting up again."

Now the prince made no attempt to stifle a groan. He fell back onto the pillows. George nodded, satisfied, and left.

"Damn it," Merlin whispered to no one. Now that he listened closely, he could hear the distant roar of the Tournament. Was Arthur really fighting right now? Was _Valiant?_

His head still throbbed, and his eyelids began to feel increasingly heavy. Since he couldn't leave anyway, Merlin took advantage of the silence and fell asleep once more.

* * *

Not even an hour later, he was jolted awake when his door swung open and hit the stone wall with great force.

"Merlin!" Arthur called as he ran to his bedside. Behind him followed Uther, Ygraine, and Gaius- he noticed that the guards supposedly watching the door were now absent.

"Are you alright, dear?" asked Ygraine.

He managed a tired smile for his mother. "I'm fine."

"Arthur and Gaius told us everything," Uther interjected. "About Valiant and the shield…"

"Oh…" Merlin paused. "What about Sir Ewan-?"

"He'll be just fine, thanks to the antidote Gaius whipped up." Arthur grinned proudly, knowing that he and his brother saved the knight. The latter nodded slowly.

"And Valiant?"

"He is being held in the dungeons. We will try him in the Court tomorrow morning." As the King spoke, it became evident that the ordeal had worn on him; there were small bags under his eyes, and the lines in his face never seemed clearer than they had in that moment. Valiant's betrayal had cut deeper to Uther than it had to Arthur. It didn't seem like he wanted to dwell on it, however. "Arthur also told us about the magic you did last night." He now took on his stern, fatherly tone. Gaius took this opportunity to cut in.

"While it is impressive that you've pulled off both an Animation and a Stunning spell in one night, I would advise against it in the future. You used a lot of energy, Merlin."

The young prince grinned. "It was worth it."

"Still, be careful in the future," Ygraine murmured. Once she received a sign of affirmation from her adopted son, she curtsied, and gestured for Gaius and Arthur to follow her out.

Before leaving, Arthur flashed an arrogant smile. "By the way, I won the Tournament."

Merlin only rolled his eyes. "Of course you did, you prat." The blonde laughed, following his mother and the physician out, leaving Merlin with his father.

"Father…" he began cautiously. "How… How are you doing?"

The King heaved a deep sigh. "I've had better days."

"I'm sorry." It seemed the only appropriate thing to say.

"No," Uther shook his head, "I should thank you, Merlin. Valiant might have killed more innocent men, just for the sake of winning, if you hadn't exposed him. I'm proud of you."

"Just for winning? That's it?"

"There may be other reasons. I'll interrogate him later and see if there's anything else."

"Are you…" Merlin gulped. "Are you going to execute him?"

Uther hesitated long enough to give Merlin a cold chill running down his back. Finally, he answered. "He's been a loyal knight for many years. He may get away with life in prison, but it all depends on the interrogation."

"I see…"

Quick footsteps down the hall told the two men another person was approaching. Lady Morgana's figure appeared in the doorway- she was panting, as though she had run all the way to the princes' chambers.

"Morgana," Merlin exclaimed. Both he and the Lady blushed.

"Merlin…"

Uther smiled warmly, looking between the two with a sort of smug satisfaction. "Well, I have business to attend to." He nodded at Morgana and departed.

The two raven-haired nobles shared an awkward, tense silence, each trying to figure out what to say. It was the first time they'd seen each other since the engagement was announced.

"I heard about Valiant," she suddenly blurted, startling them both. "And about what you and Arthur did."

"You did?" Merlin asked. He felt a strange panic rise in his body- was she told about his magic?

"Yes. It was very brave of you." She smiled gracefully, and didn't notice that she had dropped Arthur from her praising.

"I-It was nothing, Arthur was the one who cut the snake's head off," he replied shakily.

"But you figured out how Valiant was cheating," she stepped closer, "and you exposed him, which is just as brave."

"Well..." Now she was right at his side. The prince gestured for her to sit next to him, which she did. He didn't know what to say- if Morgana did know about his magic, shouldn't she have mentioned it by now?

They lapsed into another awkward quietness. Morgana picked at her dress and Merlin was staring studiously at his lap. She broke the silence again.

"Merlin, about the engagement…"

"Oh, yes, that… Look, Morgana, we don't have to if we really don't want to; I mean, I'm not saying _I _don't want to, but, um… Wait, that didn't come out right." He blushed.

Morgana giggled. "Calm down, Merlin. I didn't say I didn't want to."

"What?"

She leaned in closer and dropped her voice to a low level. "I know I stormed out before. I was just… you know, shocked. After I thought about it for a while, and had a serious wake-up call from a friend, I realized something."

Merlin had leaned closer as well, so there were only inches between them. Oddly, though, they paid no attention to that. "What was it?"

"Merlin, I…" Morgana bit her lip, as if she didn't want to say. "I think I wouldn't mind… marrying you," she finished awkwardly. "In fact, I daresay I _want _to marry you."

The prince's mouth fell open, but no words could come out. Instead, he merely stared at the Lady Morgana, a blush fixing itself on his features.

Morgana, growing uncomfortable under his intense gaze, shifted herself on his bed.

"Well," she prompted, embarrassed, "say something!"

"Oh!" He jolted. "I mean, wow… Morgana, are you serious?"

"Of course I am!" she replied, indignant. Then she deflated, looking both embarrassed and hopeful. "And… what about you?"

Merlin took only a second before breaking into the biggest grin he'd ever grinned. "I'd want nothing more than to be your husband, My Lady."

Soon she had a smile to match his, and she drew him into a sudden embrace. "I'm so happy to hear you say that!"

"Why wouldn't I want to marry the most beautiful girl in Camelot?" he asked, smirking, as she pulled away.

"I thought that maybe you only liked me as a friend…"

The prince's smile softened. "Morgana, I've liked you as more than a friend ever since you came to live here… Maybe even before then."

"Really?"

"Really. I was secretly thrilled to hear we would marry. But when you stormed out, I thought that _you _didn't like _me _that way."

"Merlin…" Her hands found his, their fingers entwining; despite the circumstances, every movement between them felt natural. The gap that separated them grew smaller and smaller…

"Merlin, you need to- Whoa!"

The nobles jolted away from each other as Arthur stepped into the room, wearing an amused expression.

"Oh, don't stop on my account. I can leave, if you'd like."

"No, no, that won't be necessary!" Morgana quickly stood, leaving the space she occupied next to Merlin empty and cold. "I was just leaving." She turned back to her now-fiancé. "Erm, thank you again, Merlin, for catching Valiant."

"Y-Yes, it was nothing. I'll try not to overexert myself next time," he joked weakly. Arthur rolled his eyes at their attempt to cover-up whatever it was they were doing.

Morgana laughed. "I still don't understand how you tired yourself out fighting one snake."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"No need to be embarrassed," she teased. "Uther said after you killed the second snake, you collapsed from the exhaustion and stress. You need better stamina, Merlin."

"Especially if you're going to be her husband," Arthur quipped.

"Arthur!" They both shouted. He held up his hands in mock-surrender, smirking cheekily.

"Couldn't resist."

She huffed. "I'll be leaving then. See you two later." The lady nodded to Arthur, and then bent down to give Merlin a kiss on the cheek. The prince exploded red- as did she- but before Arthur could crack another joke, she hurried out of the room.

"Well," the blonde started, "looks like this engagement might just work out after all."

Merlin said nothing in return. His hand hovered over the spot Morgana's lips had touched him; his thoughts were on her parting words.

"I thought she knew…" he murmured.

* * *

The dungeons were completely silent, save for the echo of the king's boots against the stone. Uther stopped at a large cell near the end of the hallway; its occupant sat in a dark corner on a pile of straw.

The king hesitated before addressing the prisoner. "Valiant."

The knight looked up. "My King," he muttered.

"I'm going to get right to it," Uther began, "and ask you one question: Why?"

Valiant laughed dismally. "Why? Must you bother with such obvious questions, My Lord?"

"I'm sorry. It's not very obvious to me. You cheated in the Tournament by using magic, an enchanted shield to be precise, almost killed your fellow knight, and endangered everyone in my castle by letting those… creatures roam free!" The king needed to pause and collect himself before continuing. "I understand all that. I don't understand why."

Valiant was quiet for a while. "… They weren't supposed to come out unless I commanded them. That's what the sorceress who sold them to me said."

"So everyone in the castle was at risk because you couldn't even control the magic you bought?" Uther looked pleadingly to Valiant. "_Why?"_

Suddenly the knight snapped; he stood and stormed to the bars of his cell, right up to the king. "You want to know why? Maybe I'm fed up with you and your kingdom, _Uther,"_ he hissed. "I admit, it's petty to bear a grudge against Prince Arthur for beating me last year, but combined with everything else, I just cracked."

"Everything else?"

Valiant raised his lips in a sneer. "You may think Cenred's army has retreated, but I've heard otherwise; he's waiting for one of the kingdoms to slip up. That man wants war, and he doesn't care who it's with. Have you noticed? No, of course not Uther, you've been preoccupied arranging a marriage between the Lady Morgana and that filthy orphan you call a prince-!"

Uther grabbed Valiant by the collar and pulled him close. "Merlin is every bit my son as Arthur is," he snarled, "So you will treat him with the same respect."

"You see, that's your weakness, Uther," Valiant chuckled. "You are far too kind. Cenred would crush Camelot like a bug; all you need to do is give him a reason to attack."

Uther released the knight as he comprehended his message. "Wouldn't finding out that a Knight of Camelot used magic to cheat in a tournament be reason enough? How could you endanger us like that?"

"I only meant to poison Arthur, not kill him. Then I would heal him with the snake's venom."

"Why?"

"Because then you would be grateful and finally listen to me." Sparks of hate shone in Valiant's eyes. "You only ever truly listen to your precious family. How else was I to get your attention?"

The king stepped back. "You sick monster!"

"Am I now, Uther? I was acting in the best interest of the kingdom; I cannot say the same for you. Or is an arranged marriage really going to save us from Cenred's army?"

"… I believe we're done here." Uther began walking away.

"I suppose it's for the best I was caught," called Valiant to his retreating form. "I may have healed Arthur, but I would definitely have killed the orphan."

His demented laughter bounced off the walls, spurring Uther to quicken his pace. If he did not hurry out of the dungeons in time, he feared he would go back and kill Valiant.

* * *

The final banquet was, as usual, a grand affair; streamers and ribbons of all shades of gold and red decorated the Banquet Hall, and the food was lavish and plentiful. Members of the nobility passed by Arthur every so often to offer their congratulations regarding his victory. He'd flash a smile and say thank you in return. He turned to his younger brother, but was annoyed to find him noiselessly picking at a half-eaten plate of food.

"Are you going to look as sad when Mother and Father give their announcement? Because I don't think Morgana will appreciate that," he joked, but it did nothing to spur action from Merlin. Instead, the younger prince only put down his fork. Arthur sighed.

"Come on, Merlin, what's wrong? We got Valiant, we saved Sir Ewan, and you're going to marry the girl you've been in love with for six years. What could possibly bring you down right now?"

Merlin managed a tired smile. "I know. I should be happier, and I am, but…"

Quickly Arthur understood. "… You wanted Morgana to know, didn't you?"

This led to a huff from the younger prince. "Why shouldn't she know? I can't keep it from her forever!"

"You heard Father. He said it was for the best we keep your secret as quiet as we can. That includes…"

"Keeping it from Morgana, I know," Merlin groaned.

Uther had returned to his family shortly before the banquet started; he'd already interrogated Valiant and seemed quite shaken. After telling them everything, he made Merlin promise to not tell Morgana about his magic- at least not for now. The king regretted making his son keep secrets, but as much as he hated to admit it, Valiant was right; he needed to look out for the kingdom as well, and the less people who knew about Merlin, the better.

Suddenly, Uther stood from his seat at the main table; all the guests immediately turned their heads to listen attentively to their king. Merlin and Arthur, however, already knew what he was about to say. After a shove from Arthur, Merlin quietly made his way back to the main table, locking eyes with Morgana, who was already seated next to Ygraine. She smiled brightly at him, and he couldn't help but return it.

"As today ends, so ends another successful- albeit interesting- Tournament." Several of the knights bowed their heads, embarrassed on Valiant's behalf. He spared them a smile.

"I present this year's winner: my eldest son, Arthur!" Uther raised his hand towards the blonde; Arthur bowed as the guests clapped politely. The king lowered his hand and glanced at Merlin and Morgana.

"And finally, I have wonderful news for you all. It is with great pride and joy that I announce the engagement of my youngest son, Prince Merlin, to the Lady Morgana le Fay!"

Merlin and Morgana stood, hands clasped, as the guests erupted with cheers and congratulations. They smiled at each other, not noticing the envious, almost disappointed glares from a few men and women in the room.

"They will wed as Merlin turns twenty; may their union be both a symbol of the heart of Camelot, and of its people!"

The cheers continued, and as the warmth and joy spread to even Merlin, no one could have guessed the tragedy occurring right underneath their feet.

* * *

Her heels clicked against the stone floor, echoing off the walls, but she went unnoticed- the guards lay in a collapsed pile a few feet behind her. The only conscious man in the corridor jumped to his feet as she stepped in front of the bars that contained him.

"You!" Valiant murmured, horrified. "What are you doing here?"

"Correcting my mistakes," she responded; her voice was venomous honey, with the authority of an adult, but the tune of one much younger. "I should have known better than to trust an oaf."

"You sold me a defective shield!" he hissed.

"You couldn't handle a basic enchanted object. Now Uther is still alive…"

"U-Uther? But wait, you said this would help Uther realize his mistakes-!"

"Yes; he would realize his mistakes as the light left his eyes and the last breath escaped his lips. The snakes were supposed to leave the armory and bite the king, but you confused them with your desire to win the Tournament."

Valiant took a step back. "You wanted me to… to kill the king?!"

"You see, that's exactly why I didn't tell you," she sighed. "Even though you were so angry with him, you're still irritatingly loyal. A knight of Camelot wouldn't dare participate in an assassination plot."

"Why… Who are you?"

The girl sneered and turned away. The cheering upstairs caught her attention.

"What is the cause of celebration?" she asked quietly. He blinked, confused.

"The… The king has engaged his youngest son to the Lady Morgana…"

Suddenly she inhaled sharply- her eyes narrowed to slits. Valiant trembled.

"A-Answer me! Who are you, really? Why do you want to kill King Uther?"

"That doesn't matter now. Uther lives, and now it's your fault that he's become somewhat aware of Cenred's plans."

Now Valiant was backed up against the wall. The girl raised her arm.

"What a useless pawn," she commented, and even under the shadow of her hood, the knight saw a flash of gold in her eyes. He had no time to even gasp before he was thrust against the wall and his neck snapped. The fallen knight lay, crumpled, on the floor.

She looked up as the cheering slowly faded away. "Marrying that orphan son… How disgraceful." She strode her way out of the dungeons, and one thought burned clearly in her mind.

'_I will save you, sister.'_

* * *

**UH OH. PLOT DETECTED.**

**So, to clarify, yes, Merlin and Morgana have already admitted their feelings for each other and are a couple- but can their love withstand this author's half-baked ideas?**

**NEXT CHAPTER: A dark secret from the King and Queen's past resurfaces, and Merlin will require the help of someone special to defeat it...**


	9. Excalibur I

**GOODNESS GRACIOUS. This took waaaaay longer than I thought it would.**

**Okay, so, yes, Excalibur is the next story. Obviously, though, with a few twists. I'm going to start going into the plot, so not too many episode-based chapters after this.**

* * *

Several weeks had passed since the Tournament's end, and Sir Valiant's body was discovered not too long after the Final Banquet. The guards could not remember a trespasser, nor could they remember hearing Valiant talk to anyone; this worried the king greatly. He kept the knight's true cause of death a secret from the people, and claimed instead that he was executed. Only the royal family knew the truth.

Uther sat in his study, his forehead resting in his hands. There were still no clues that might have led to the person who killed Valiant. A faint knock came at his door, and he raised his head wearily.

"Come in."

Ygraine quietly stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Uther."

"Ygraine," he smiled softly. The king rose to greet his wife and kissed her.

"It's almost time, you know."

"Is it?" He sounded surprised. "Have I been in here that long?"

"Yes," she laughed. "Now come on!" The queen towed his arm towards the door. "You must escort me to the Hall of Ceremonies! It _is _our son's Coming of Age banquet, after all!"

* * *

"Sire, it would be greatly appreciated if you would stop pulling at the clasps." George tugged said clasps back into place as Arthur groaned.

"This damned thing is too hot!" he exclaimed. Merlin, who sat fully-dressed on his bed, laughed.

"Are you sure that's not just your nerves talking?"

"Shut it, Merlin," the older prince muttered, jerking his arm out of George's grasp. The servant sighed and left to help with the feast preparations. "When you have your Coming of Age next year, we'll see who has worse nerves."

"Well," grinned Merlin, "I won't be made Crown Prince when that happens. That honor is all yours, brother dear." He got up and fixed Arthur's clasps yet again. "Come on, don't you want to look your best for the entire kingdom? A future king must look presentable, at the very least."

"If this is supposed to help, it's not."

"I tried." Merlin took a step back, going over Arthur's attire; once he deemed his brother decent, he nodded and walked to the door.

"Oi," Arthur called, "where are you going?"

The younger prince turned around with a sheepish smile. "I, uh, promised Morgana that I would escort her to the Hall. So…"

A sly grin overtook Arthur face. "Ah, I see. Yet another cruel way of reminding me that my little brother is happily engaged and I'm still single. I get it."

Merlin blushed. "I-I've escorted her before! Even before the engagement…"

"But you're engaged now, so it's different. Go on, then. I'll see you there."

"R-Right… S-See you."

Merlin was barely out in the hallway before Arthur shouted, "Give Morgana my regards, just in case you don't make it to the ceremony!" He all but ran to Morgana's chambers as his older brother cackled with laughter.

* * *

He made it to her room out of breath, and the Lady Morgana was already standing outside her door.

"Merlin? What's wrong?" she asked, regarding him curiously- the prince's face was flushed in addition to his panting.

"It… Arthur…" he gasped in reply. She lifted her head and smiled.

"I see. Well, it is his special night; I can see him teasing you to relieve stress."

"He told me to give you his regards in case we 'don't make it to the ceremony'." It was Merlin's turn to smile as Morgana turned a dark shade of red. "But as lovely as that sounds, let's not give him the satisfaction of being right." He offered his arm to her.

"… You know, sometimes you're as bad as he is." Morgana looped her arm through his. They began walking to the Hall of Ceremonies is comfortable silence. Servants who passed them in the corridors bowed respectfully, sometimes hiding a pleased smile as they walked by.

Ever since the engagement was made public, it made the residents of Camelot happy to see the newly-dubbed "lovebirds" strolling around together. In fact, Arthur began complaining that Merlin spent more time with his future wife than his own brother- jokingly, of course. The two took those jokes in stride, and sometimes paid them no mind at all, instead enjoying each other's company, much to the king and queen's delight.

Finally, the pair arrived at the Hall of Ceremonies, where the other guests greeted them with flourish. But rather than converse with the nobles, Merlin and Morgana made a beeline straight to their closest friend, who was standing in the back with the rest of the servants: Guinevere.

Gwen curtsied formally before Morgana swept her into a hug.

"My Lord, My Lady," she breathed, winded from Morgana's embrace. Merlin gave her a stern look; Gwen laughed and corrected herself. "Merlin, Morgana. Good evening."

"That's better," he nodded.

"So," continued Gwen, "it's Arthur's big day, isn't it?"

"Yes, and if you remind him, he'll be likely to faint." Merlin chuckled. Try as he might to hide it, Arthur's legs were still shaking when he left the room.

"He has every right to be nervous! After today, he'll have more responsibilities than ever, being Crown Prince and all."

"And he'll give Merlin an earful of those responsibilities, I'm sure," quipped Morgana, and the two girls burst into giggles, while Merlin rolled his eyes; it was probably true, anyway.

King Uther and Queen Ygraine entered the room, turning all the heads, and Arthur was following close behind. This signaled the start of the ceremony, so Merlin, with Morgana in hand, departed for the head table, nodding a goodbye to Gwen.

* * *

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom, and its dominions, according to the statutes, customs, and laws laid down by your forebears?"

Arthur was knelt down before the king on the pedestal. "I do, Sire."

"Do you promise to exercise justice and mercy in your deeds and judgments?"

"I do, Sire."

"And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now, and for as long as you shall live?"

"I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its people."

Uther allowed a proud smile to break through on his features before he turned and grabbed a gold circlet from a servant upholding it on a pillow. Gingerly, he placed the circlet on his eldest son's head.

"Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot."

Arthur stood and faced the crowd, who applauded their Crown Prince happily. Ygraine held her hands to her chest, her eyes misting over. Merlin and Morgana exchanged smiles as they too clapped for Arthur. But the blonde was looking not at his family, but at the servants; specifically, he was beaming shyly at Gwen. She averted her eyes with a blush and silly grin.

Just as Arthur was to step down from the pedestal, a crash caught the attention of all those in the room; shards of glass rained down on the crowd, who shrieked, as a black knight on a midnight horse burst into the hall.

The knights immediately drew their swords, Arthur and Merlin included. The horse trod forward and stopped a few feet in front of the king. The knight then stepped down from his steed. Uther held his breath, and Ygraine gasped suddenly. As Merlin observed them, he saw that his parents were fixated on the knight's shield, on which was a peculiar crest; it seemed to be a white bird of some sort…

Then the knight pulled off his gauntlet with great speed and threw it at Uther's feet. The crowd gasped- had this stranger really just challenged the King of Camelot?

Uther took a deep breath and exhaled, bending down to accept the gauntlet-

-before a young knight scooped it out from under him.

"Wha-!" Uther started, but the knight of Camelot interrupted him.

"I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge!" he shouted. The black knight turned his head slowly towards Owain.

"Single combat," he spoke, with the voice of a normal man, but it made the king and queen tremble. "Noon, tomorrow. To the death." Owain jerked his head down in agreement. Apparently satisfied, the black knight mounted his horse again. Before he rode out, he looked at the queen.

"No…" she whispered.

The black knight pulled on the horse's reins, and the strange invader left the stunned hall in his wake.

* * *

"What was that?!" Uther shouted; all the knights were aligned in the Council Chambers. Sir Owain stood guiltily before his king.

"I'm sorry Sire, I panicked. I acted without thinking."

"Yes, you did," muttered Uther. "And now, according to the Knight's Code, you may not withdraw!"

Owain flinched, but held his ground. "I can beat him, Sire."

"How do you know that?" Uther boomed, causing everyone else to flinch as well. Everyone but Ygraine, who remained mysteriously quiet. Merlin went to his mother's side.

"Mother," he said softly, but it still startled her. Uther was still rattling off at Sir Owain.

"Oh! I'm sorry Merlin, you scared me…"

"Are you alright? You've been… out of it ever since that knight crashed in."

"No, I'm fine, really!" She managed a grimace. "I'm just tired."

He didn't believe her, but there was no point in pursuing answers she clearly wasn't willing to give. "May I escort you back to your chambers?"

"Yes, Merlin, that would be perfect." She took her son's proffered arm and looked back at her husband. Uther showed concern in her eyes, but said nothing else as Merlin walked her back to their room. He turned back to Owain after his wife and son left.

"I want you to wake up early tomorrow and train with Arthur; that should help prepare you."

Owain looked confused, but bowed. "Thank you Sire, I will."

"Good. You're all dismissed."

As the knights left, Uther reclined in his chair with a heaving sigh. Arthur and Gaius remained. Morgana had left the Hall of Ceremonies with Gwen after the black knight rode out.

"Father, I don't like the look of that knight. Are you sure you can't revoke the Knight's Code, just this once?"

"I cannot; the Code is not broken for anyone… We can only hope that Owain is skilled enough to emerge victorious."

"I'll make sure that he is," said Arthur determinately. The prince strode out, presumably headed for his chambers.

"Sire," Gaius started, uncertain. "The look you and the queen had upon seeing the black knight…"

"You saw it too, Gaius," said Uther with a tired face. "You saw that crest. You know who it is."

"The white phoenix, yes, but…"

"Only one man has ever worn that crest!" Suddenly the king stood up. "And that man died seventeen years ago!" His voice dropped to a quiver. "I killed him."

"Sire, we are not certain that is Tristan! It could be a man using his crest to get to you and the queen."

"But his voice! It was Tristan's! If I wasn't sure, than Ygraine definitely is!"

Gaius could not think of a thing to say. Finally, he relented a sigh. "But whatever else you may think, you did not kill Tristan de Bois."

Uther smiled sadly. "I might as well have. It's a good thing Aggravaine left the country; I don't know what he'd think of all this." He recalled his dark-haired brother-in-law, and wondered if all was well with him. Aggravaine left to take care of the le Fay estate in Vivienne's stead, as she was still too sick to move, a month after Morgana first arrived in Camelot. He sent periodic letters, mostly to Ygraine, and judging by their tone, seemed content.

"I think you should rest, Sire. This worrying isn't good for you."

"How can I?" Uther approached a window, and Gaius followed him. The black knight stood on the grass in front of the Tournament grounds, holding the shield with the accursed crest in one hand and a black flag in the other. He stared vacantly at the castle. "When that thing, whatever it is, is standing out there?"

Gaius turned away from the window. "If it bothers you so, Sire, perhaps you and the queen should consult with someone who puts your mind at ease."

Uther's eyes widened with realization. "Nimueh. But… We haven't called her in years!"

"She will come; she always does, My Lord."

"Right…" Uther rubbed his temples and groaned. "Well. I will talk to Ygraine about this. If she thinks talking to Nimueh will help, I will call her."

"Very good Sire. Now, I believe the queen is waiting for you as we speak."

* * *

Indeed she was. Ygraine had been pacing the floor, a nervous wreck, and jolted when Uther finally entered their chambers. She ran into his arms and exhaled all her thoughts.

"Uther, do you think it's him? Tristan? I don't want to think I'm going mad, but the crest- and, and his voice!"

"Shh…" He ran his fingers through her blonde tresses. "Calm down, Ygraine." She pulled away from their embrace and looked up at him.

"Uther…" Her round blue eyes were sad. "Am I going mad? Merlin seemed so worried…"

"You're not, darling. I think it may be Tristan as well."

At first, Ygraine appeared elated, but then her face fell as she comprehended the situation. "But he's dead. How can he be here? And why would he challenge you?"

He shook his head. "I don't know… Gaius suggested we consult with Nimueh, in case there may be magic at work here."

She gasped. "But it's been so long! Would she come?"

"Gaius seemed confident that she would." He waited a moment for his wife to recollect herself. "So… should we?"

"Too late, I'm already here."

The royals whipped around, Ygraine letting out a frightened yelp as the High Priestess herself appeared suddenly on their bed. She crossed her legs and raised an eyebrow, satisfied with their reaction.

"Nimueh! By the goddess, don't do that!" Ygraine scolded. Nimueh rose and shrugged her shoulders.

"I felt your sudden distress and decided to pop in and investigate. By the sound of it, you were going to ask for my help anyway." She smirked. "So, what's happened?"

They explained to her the events of the night. She listened quietly and intently, not interrupting.

"So… You believe Tristan de Bois has risen from the dead? And he wants to challenge Uther?"

The king and queen nodded in unison. "Is such a thing possible?" pursued Uther.

"Yes, but… Well, completely resurrecting someone is impossible, but there were sorcerers in the past who believed otherwise. The failed creatures were called wraiths, and mostly they were used as tools for revenge. But the original soul must have also had a reason to kill- you couldn't just revive anyone."

"But who could do this?" asked Ygraine. "And why?"

"I will look into that… It might be possible that this sorcerer, whoever they may be, is manipulating Tristan's soul into believing… well…"

"That we killed him," Uther finished solemnly. Ygraine gasped, horrified.

Nimueh frowned. "You did nothing, Uther Pendragon; I performed the spell."

"But we encouraged you."

Nimueh said nothing, and for a while, the three of them stood in a tense silence.

"I will look into the matter, Uther, Ygraine, and I promise everything will be fine."

Ygraine hummed listlessly. "Thank you, Nimueh."

The High Priestess smiled. Then, her eyes turned golden and she disappeared into thin air.

Uther held his wife tightly.

"I hope she keeps that promise," Ygraine murmured, and Uther agreed.

* * *

Many miles from Camelot, in Essetir, Cenred's kingdom, a hooded man made his way into an underground cave. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one followed him; then, in a booming voice, he called: "Kilgarrah!"

At first, there was silence in the cavern, save for the drips of water hitting rock. Then a rustling was heard, and suddenly a blur of gold fell from the roof of the cave. The being, quite clearly a dragon, unfolded his wings and bowed to the man.

"Why have you called me?" he asked, as though addressing a fellow man, and not a fire-breathing monster.

The dragon cut right to it. "I fear that a great evil has befallen Camelot's royal family, and it is one they cannot banish without our help."

The man groaned. "Again with your obsession with Camelot! First you tell my wife and I to give up our son, _hoping _that he would find a home there and you don't tell us why…!" He took a deep breath as the dragon observed him, amused. He'd ranted about this many times before. "… What is the evil?"

"Did you bring what I asked?"

The man huffed, irritated, but produced a sword from his cloak nonetheless. "The finest sword I could find." The sword indeed exquisitely crafted, with a golden hilt and smooth, sharp blade. The dragon smiled, showing his approval.

"Well done, old friend. This will do nicely."

The sword floated out of the man's hands and he instinctively stepped back. Kilgarrah opened his jaws and breathed golden flame onto the sword; it glowed with a magical aura and floated back to the man, who caught its hilt suspiciously.

"You have not forged a weapon in years," he said. "Why now?"

"The Pendragons will need it to vanquish their foe. And I don't suppose they know any dragons?"

"Fair point. But how will they get this?"

"You will take it to them."

The man almost dropped the newly-forged sword. "What?"

"I will plant a message in the youngest prince's mind; he will meet you in two days outside the city's walls."

"Kilgarrah!" he shouted indignantly. "I cannot just leave Hunith behind for two days!"

"Why ever not? She is a strong woman. I'm sure she can last a few days without you."

"You've never even given me a reason to help the Pendragons! Why should I, when their family supports the Ban?"

"I would not be so sure…"

"What do you mean?"

"You really don't know?" The dragon tilted his head. "I suppose Cenred does not keep his kingdom well-informed…"

"Informed of what?" The man was evidently growing tired of Kilgarrah's games.

"Do you not know the names of the Pendragon family?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I only know King Uther and Queen Ygraine. They have two sons, but their names are lost to me."

"Well, accept this quest, and you will meet the youngest son…"

"Why should I care?" he repeated, this time with venom.

"Because his name," continued Kilgarrah, "is Prince _Merlin_ Pendragon."

The sword was dropped, clanging against the rock, but Kilgarrah found it in himself to not be angry. Instead, he felt both amused and sympathetic. "I thought you knew," he said simply.

"Is… Is it really _our _Merlin?"

"Yes. Uther and his family have been harboring a sorcerer from Cenred's men ever since that night, ten years ago. I have been… talking, I suppose, to him every night. He is indeed your son."

The man said nothing, most likely because he couldn't speak- he was too filled with joy, shock, and every emotion related.

"I am giving you a chance to see your boy," Kilgarrah smiled. "But bear in mind, it is still too early for him to know who you really are. You may see him only on the condition that you do not reveal to him the truth. Are we agreed?"

The man swallowed. "Y-Yes. I will take the sword to him…" He looked up at the dragon. "May I tell Hunith?"

"I don't see why not. But you must leave in the morning."

"Yes! Yes… Thank you, Kilgarrah!" He began to run back to the cave's entrance. The dragon chuckled.

"Godspeed, Balinor!" he called, but he knew the man was running with all his might back to his wife in Ealdor and as already out of hearing range.

"Well then," he spoke to no one, "one more thing to do."

* * *

"_Young Warlock? Are you asleep?"_

Merlin groaned in his mind but replied. 'I think so.'

The voice laughed. _"I apologize. I'll make this quick."_

'What?'

"_In two days, there will be a man waiting for you outside the city walls; he has something that will help you defeat the black knight."_

'Him? Why do we need help defeating him?' Did this mean Owain would lose? Merlin tried to shake such thoughts from his head.

"_You will find out soon enough, Young Warlock. Remember, two days outside the city walls."_

"Wait!" Merlin bolted straight up and found himself in bed, covered with a cold sweat. Arthur was by the window, looking at Merlin as though he'd been attacked- Merlin saw his hand hover over his sword before he relaxed.

"Nightmare?" Arthur asked.

"I… I'm not sure." He relayed the voice's message to his brother. "Should I believe him?"

"Merlin, you don't even know if that voice is real! I'm not saying you're crazy, but…" Arthur shrugged; Merlin felt annoyed. "Besides, according to that voice, Sir Owain will lose tomorrow. I'm doing everything I can to ensure that doesn't happen."

"Then shouldn't you be asleep?"

Arthur paused. "I couldn't. Not with that thing out there." He pointed out the window, where Merlin knew the black knight was standing, making his quiet vigil over the castle. "I'll be fine, though."

"I hope so. Because if you're not, Sir Owain may be in trouble."

"How reassuring, Merlin," he replied sarcastically.

"Get some sleep, Arthur."

"Fine. But only if you take your sleeping draught."

Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but Arthur raised an eyebrow, expectant. He sighed and pulled a vial from his bedside table. He gave his brother a look, uncorked the vial, and tipped its contents into his mouth. Merlin made a face and coughed; "Happy?"

Arthur nodded. "Very. Goodnight."

"Ugh…" Merlin dropped his head back against his pillow. His eyelids felt heavy, and he drifted off to sleep, but his dreams were filled with the voice's message, and the terrible foreboding feeling that accompanied it.

* * *

**SO MANY LINE BREAKS. Ahem. I hope Merlin and Arthur are in-character. I like having them be all cute and brotherly, but we all know Arthur is so difficult sometimes. There's gotta be drama.**

**As always, R&R, it inspires me. **

**Next time: Merlin meets two very important people: one he knows from his parents, and another who knows him...**


	10. Excalibur II

**Well. Hello everyone. Lookie here. Wooooooo.**

**Yeah, so, this chapter is friggin' long cause I don't want more than two chapters dedicated to the Excalibur arc. **

**But yay, Balinor!**

* * *

Both of the princes walked numbly to their chambers. Sir Owain had lost. The black knight had thrown his gauntlet once again, over the dead knight's body, and stared pointedly at Uther. But yet another knight had scooped the gauntlet from under the king and accepted the challenge in his place. Sir Pellinor was the next to fight.

"I can't believe it…" Arthur muttered. He was more devastated by Owain's loss than Merlin, most likely because he had personally trained the knight to win. "I've never seen anyone move like that man…"

"If it even is a man…" replied Merlin. Arthur huffed.

"You're letting that voice get to you; he is just a man, not a monster. He can be beat," Arthur said, but it sounded more like he was talking to himself. "Sir Pellinor is a fine warrior… He can beat him."

"Didn't you see it, Arthur? Owain struck the knight a killing blow, but he didn't even flinch!"

"You might have just been seeing things!"

"My eyes are faster than yours," the younger said caustically. "I know what I saw; that man should be dead, not Owain! You just refuse to believe me because you think I'm going mad!"

Arthur stopped suddenly, making Merlin go on a few steps before he stopped as well. The older prince wore a weary expression. "Look, Merlin: how about this? If Sir Pellinor manages to lose tomorrow, you can go to the city walls at night and see if there really is a man waiting for you. If there is- and I'm emphasizing the 'if' here- I will never doubt you or that weird voice in your head again." He stuck out his hand to his stunned brother. "Deal?"

Merlin quirked a tiny grin and grabbed Arthur's hand. "Deal."

"Good, now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find Sir Pellinor." Arthur took off down a different hallway. Merlin ambled about, not wanting to go back to his own room. He knew that Morgana was busy with Gwen doing, well, whatever it was that girls did, and everyone else was tense from Owain's defeat. Finally, he decided to head to Gaius's chambers; perhaps helping the physician with work would clear the young prince's mind.

* * *

He bumped into the physician just as he was leaving his workshop.

"Gaius!"

"My Lord," he bowed hastily. "What can I do for you?"

"I… wanted to see if I could help you with work?"

"Ah… That's very kind of you, Merlin, but I'm afraid I have other business to attend to first…" He tried stepping aside to brush past Merlin, but the prince took a step too and blocked him.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Ah…" Gaius sighed. "I suppose it would be convenient to have you along… Come on."

He followed Gaius down the hallway, heading towards a part of the castle Merlin had rarely explored, even during all the games of hide-and-seek he and Arthur played as children- they were headed towards the tombs.

"O-Okay, so… Why are we down here?" asked Merlin as they descended the stairs, Gaius holding up a torch to light the way. Gaius smirked at his trembling voice; who'd have thought, a powerful sorcerer and prince, scared by the tombs?

"You'll see… I'm curious though, Merlin, as to what you think of the black knight."

"The black knight…? He's pretty suspicious, but I can't really say why… It's like he's not even human…" Merlin's voice dropped as they reached the bottom of the stairs and lines of graves came into view. Gaius only hummed and crossed over to one particular grave. Merlin followed him reluctantly; he gasped as he saw the tomb the physician was focused on. While the others had a stone likeness of the departed they housed, this one was broken entirely- there was no remnant of the statue that once rested on top of the poor man's resting place.

"Who would rob a grave?" the prince asked.

Gaius sighed. "It isn't who broke _in_… It's who broke out."

Before Merlin could ask what he meant, a woman's voice rang right beside him. "So it's true then, eh Gaius?"

The prince nearly jumped out of his skin, but Gaius only seemed slightly surprised.

"Nimueh," he remarked, "What are you doing here?"

The High Priestess grinned, mostly at Merlin, and walked around to the other side of the broken grave. "Did you not ask Uther and Ygraine to call me?"

"The king did not seem particularly keen on that you would come."

"I will always come when they call," she shrugged, and peered into the hole.

"Wait," Merlin stuttered, "Nimueh? As in, the High Priestess?"

Said woman looked up and smiled. "That's right. We haven't met face-to-face before, have we, Prince Merlin?" She held out her arm; Merlin shook it warily. His mother and father often told him about the sorceress, but ever since he became a Pendragon, there was no need to call her, so he only knew her from their stories. He knew that she was among the last of her kind, and she and the rest of the High Priestesses lived in the Isle of the Blessed. He also knew that she was partly responsible for persuading Uther to adopt him.

"No, but it's nice to finally see you. I was starting to think you weren't real."

She laughed and ran her fingers along the stone coffin.

"So, has Gaius asked for your help with the wraith?"

"The what?"

She looked between the two men, who both appeared very confused. "The wraith. That's what I believe the black knight is."

Merlin vaguely recalled such a creature mentioned in his Grimoire. "But… isn't a wraith a resurrected human?"

"One without a soul," Gaius answered grimly.

"But _which_ human is he?" He tried observing the tomb for a name, but there was only the same white bird that was on the black knight's shield.

"Tristan de Bois," replied Nimueh. When Merlin showed no recognition of the name, she elaborated. "Your mother's older brother."

Merlin frowned. "I only know my uncle Aggravaine…"

"I don't believe Arthur knows Tristan either. The queen does not speak of him, and to spare her pain, the king has asked everyone else not to either." The Priestess cast her eyes down.

"Why not?" The prince held back a shiver. "How did he die?"

"Merlin, I'm not sure now is…" Gaius began, but Nimueh held up a hand to stop him.

"No, Gaius, the boy deserves to know. As does his brother, but I trust he will tell him later…"

Merlin was getting a bit frustrated by then. "Tell him what?"

The adults shared a glance. "Ygraine… originally, she could not conceive. So, desperate for an heir, she and Uther came to me for help; I allowed her to become with child, but there were repercussions to such magic… In order to create life, life must first be taken."

Nimueh flicked her gaze to the prince; he was paling with realization.

"I was not sure whose life it would be, but we feared it nonetheless. Arthur's birth was complicated; I even thought perhaps Ygraine would be the one to pay the price, but the moment Arthur opened his mouth to cry…"

"… Tristan de Bois died instead," Merlin concluded. He took a shaky breath. "And now someone has brought him back to life."

Nimueh reached over the tomb to hold Merlin's hand. She sent him a compassionate look. "I fear so. And that person has disillusioned Tristan to believe that Uther killed him- he seeks revenge."

"But who did it is the question." Gaius held his torch over the hole to illuminate it. There was nothing inside.

"Why…?" Merlin hissed. "First Valiant, now his brother-in-law… These can't be coincidences…"

"Do not dwell on that, Merlin," said Gaius. "For now, we should think on how to defeat the wraith before it faces Sir Pellinor tomorrow."

"And magic won't work, before you think of it." Nimueh had retracted her hand from Merlin's and heaved a groan. "No mortal blade can kill it, either."

Merlin suddenly looked up, as if an idea struck him. He spilled out his dream- the voice's message- to the adults, who looked on with shock.

"You have been hearing a voice in your head?" Nimueh asked.

"The _same voice _from when you were a child?" followed Gaius. Merlin grinned sheepishly.

"I didn't want to tell you that the sleeping draught didn't work… So…"

Instead of appearing upset, however, Gaius seemed pensive. Nimueh spoke his thoughts aloud.

"If the sleeping draught didn't work, it means that the voice is real, Merlin. Gaius is the best physician in the lands; only magic could pervade his medicine."

Merlin was going to bring up Morgana's nightmares, and that the draught didn't work for her either, but the Priestess spoke again. "Are you going to listen to the voice?"

"Yes, I was planning on it. Arthur promised that if Sir Pellinor loses tomorrow, he would let me go."

"Brotherly concern; adorable," Nimueh smirked. Gaius rolled his eyes.

"I hate to say it, but you will likely see that man tomorrow night. Now that we know Pellinor cannot kill the wraith…"

"But now that we know, we cannot just sacrifice him!" Merlin argued. "I'll tell father and he can call the duel off!"

"He cannot," spoke the Priestess. "The Knight's Code is not revoked for anyone; and even if you persuaded your father to do so, a knight of Camelot will not simply back down."

"That's…" Merlin faltered. It was true, he thought dejectedly. Nimueh regarded the young prince prudently.

"Have you ever contacted this voice?"

"Hm? No, he's always started the conversation. I'm not even sure how to call him."

"Well, I want you to try," she instructed. "Someone with your talent should manage it."

Merlin nodded numbly. "I'll… try."

"Good." The Priestess turned to the physician. "Gaius, could you tell Uther that I confirm his suspicions? I must hurry back to the Isle of the Blessed before my sisters wonder where I've gone." Gaius promised and she was gone in a whirl of air. He turned to the prince.

"Shall we return as well, My Lord?"

Merlin didn't answer.

* * *

"What?" Arthur scoffed. "Merlin, that's just ridiculous."

"It's the truth," Merlin grumbled. He'd told Arthur exactly what happened in the tombs, but as he expected, his brother didn't believe a word of it. "Though I guess I'm still unreliable, huh?"

"It's not that, Merlin…" Arthur fell ungraciously on his bed. "I just… Look, let's focus on tomorrow, okay? I spent all day training with Sir Pellinor, I just want to sleep."

"Fine." Merlin threw his covers over his head and turned away from Arthur. He heard his brother sigh before he extinguished the candles and went to sleep.

His mind was racing with the recent events. Not only the wraith, but the incident with Valiant as well. Why was all this happening? He took a deep breath and exhaled; he decided to follow Nimueh's orders and contact the voice…

'Erm…' he began thinking, already feeling silly. 'Hello?'

There was nothing at first; Merlin even began to feel embarrassed.

"_Yes, Young Warlock?"_

The familiar, deep voice shook the prince from the recesses of sleep he was falling into. 'Y-You actually answered!' he thought excitedly. The voice chuckled.

"_It was a quiet call, but I heard it nonetheless. Very impressive."_

'Yeah… Um…' Merlin realized he hadn't thought about what to ask him.

"_Well?"_

It was like he could hear the voice's eyebrow- if he had any- raising. 'I, uh, didn't think this through,' he thought, nervous.

"_What do you wish to know? Keep in mind that I cannot answer everything."_

'Right… Perhaps, you could…' Merlin stopped for a moment. 'This man I'm to meet… Who is he, exactly? And who are you, for that matter?'

The voice laughed again. _"I was wondering when you would finally start asking questions… I am Kilgarrah, Young Warlock."_

Kilgarrah. Merlin could already feel the name roll on his tongue. 'And another thing… How do you know I have magic? Where are you?'

"_All things will be revealed in good time. Just know that I am on Camelot's side… Now, as for the man, he is called Balinor. You can trust him." _There was a hint of melancholy in Kilgarrah's words.

Merlin mused over this, and then suddenly caught himself yawning- he nearly broke the connection as he rubbed his eyes.

"_I believe you should rest now, Young Warlock. Remember to meet Balinor tomorrow."_

'Wait, what will happen? What will he give… to… me…' Merlin's consciousness dropped into deep slumber.

Miles away, Kilgarrah smiled. At age sixteen, Merlin was already rapidly increasing in skill; yet the dragon would not let his guard down. There were more obstacles standing in his way, and if Albion was ever to rise to greatness, Kilgarrah would make sure they were done away with.

* * *

Sir Pellinor had fought bravely, and his battle lasted longer than Sir Owain's, but the black knight triumphed again- but this time, everyone saw Pellinor land a fatal blow before he met his demise. The knight stood as though he was in perfect health. He turned once more to face the king.

Uther braced himself to stand and receive the gauntlet, which the knight- who Gaius confirmed as Tristan- was reaching for. He felt Ygraine's eyes on him; he knew her expression was one of grief and pity.

There was a soft thud, the sound of the gauntlet hitting the dirt, but the crowd gasped as if they hadn't seen it before. The gauntlet that lay on the ground was not Tristan's black one, but Arthur's own. Uther snapped his attention to his oldest son, who stood defiantly between the king and Merlin.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you!"

Tristan paused before answering. "Very well."

"Noon. Tomorrow. To the death," the prince finished, narrowing his eyes.

Tristan spun around and walked off the grounds, leaving the royal family and citizens of Camelot in their stunned state.

Everyone eventually evacuated the dueling pitch, and the Pendragons retreated back inside the peace of their castle. It was a quiet walk, with Ygraine, Merlin, and Morgana throwing cautious glances to the two stone-faced men, Arthur and Uther.

The king stopped in front of the Council Chambers, prompting everyone else to stop. He addressed Morgana in a formal, clipped tone, though its frostiness was directed at Arthur, not his ward.

"Lady Morgana, may I ask you to head back to your chambers? There is something I wish to discuss with my family."

She gulped, uncertain, and looked at Merlin. He smiled softly, gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and nodded. Morgana curtsied to the king, queen, and princes, and trudged quietly back to her room, where Merlin knew Gwen would be anxiously waiting. Both girls nearly screamed in despair when Arthur threw down his gauntlet…

Uther led his family inside and closed the doors, exhaling as the hallway, and by extension, the kingdom, was cut off from the oncoming argument.

"What do you think you're doing, Arthur?" he asked, still facing the doors.

"Taking responsibility as Crown Prince. I will not allow any more lives to be taken by the wraith."

Uther finally turned around and yelled angrily. "So risking your own life is the solution? Arthur, you saw Pellinor strike him; he cannot die! You should have let me collect the gauntlet!"

"And lose the king? I think not."

Ygraine was huddled into her youngest son's side; she was trembling, most likely at the thought of losing two very important people to her. Merlin gripped his mother with as much support as he could manage, but he was also growing concerned with Uther and Arthur's increasing volume.

"Better to lose the current king than the future one!"

Arthur glowered at his father. "What sort of king will I be if I cannot stand up for my men? If I cannot calm the people? Camelot deserves far better."

"Wait…" called Ygraine, ceasing their dispute. "Arthur, how did you know the knight was a wraith…?"

Uther blinked, realizing that Arthur had indeed identified the creature correctly. Arthur raised his head.

"Merlin told me."

Merlin also held his head high as the king and queen observed him with faces of shock. Arthur went on.

"He also told me who he was; Tristan de Bois… my uncle. I know everything, father, mother…"

"Arthur…" Uther's livid tone lessened. Ygraine was still looking quizzically at Merlin.

"Nimueh," he explained, and they understood straightaway.

"He told me all this, and he knows a way to stop him." He nodded to Merlin and the youngest prince explained everything- his dreams, the voice of Kilgarrah, and the man he was to meet that very night. It grew very hard to go on, though, once he saw the concerned faces of his parents. They were upset that he never told them.

"So you're going to do it, then?" asked Ygraine, after she recovered. "Meet this man?"

Merlin nodded. "Both Nimueh and Gaius recommended it. Besides, what other options do we have?"

Uther remained unnervingly quiet. "… Arthur, will you go with him?"

"Of course," he answered with no pause.

"Then… I suppose it is our best shot." Uther reached for Ygraine's hand, which she gladly gave. "Be careful," he pleaded. Both Merlin and Arthur gave solemn nods and left.

* * *

They walked silently to the city walls; night had fallen quickly. After the quarrel and subsequent revelation of the truth to their parents, Merlin went to Morgana's chambers. Arthur, on the other hand, left to take care of Sir Owain and Pellinor's funeral rights, telling his little brother to give Morgana and Guinevere his regards.

She had latched onto him the moment she walked through the doors, and if the wet spots left on his shirt had been any indication, she had been crying. Gwen sat motionless on the bed, puffy red eyes telling a similar story. He reassured them that everything was going to be fine, but they doubted him. Merlin even doubted himself at that point.

Even after Gwen left for home, Morgana made him stay as she continued to clutch at his arm, willing the tears to stop.

"Everything will be alright," he had told her. "There is no warrior in the lands equal to Arthur."

She sniffled, mumbled a thank you, and let him leave as the stars were just beginning to peek out. Arthur was waiting for him just outside her doors. Since then they walked in the tense, uncomfortable quietness, even as they left the citadel.

So Arthur's sudden apology nearly made Merlin jump.

"I'm sorry," he bit his lip. "I shouldn't have doubted you, Merlin."

Merlin took a moment to register before coughing into his fist with an unassuming air. "In your defense, I was sounding a bit mad."

"Mad, yes. But you are my brother." Arthur looked him in the eyes, pale ice to deep ocean. "I should have trusted you from the beginning."

"There's a lot about magic even I don't understand, Arthur. I was starting to think maybe I was insane too, if it weren't for Nimueh." Merlin smiled, and Arthur returned it on a lesser scale.

"See? A High Priestess gave you the confidence and support that your older brother couldn't. What sort of future king can't even listen to his own brother?"

"But you owned up to it in the end," Merlin reminded him. "And look, you're apologizing! I don't think you apologized even when you accidently pushed me into the mud when we were kids."

Arthur barked out a laugh. "I remember that! I was too busy laughing! Besides, you pulled me in, too!"

Merlin rolled his eyes, shoving Arthur good-naturedly. "The point being, despite being a jerk most of the time, I know you're a good man. And you'll be a great king, too."

"Thank you, Merlin," he spoke sincerely. The rest of the walk maintained a relaxed mood as they neared the outskirts of the city walls. Uther had sent word ahead to the guards posted there to let the princes pass, so said guards offered respectful bows and left their post, as they were instructed so by the king- no one was to know what exactly what happening.

They stood side-by-side, nervously awaiting the arrival of the stranger. For a while, there was nothing.

"… Are you sure this is the right side?" Arthur asked.

"I'm pretty sure Kilgarrah said the East Gate…" came the reply, although Merlin himself was beginning to doubt whether he had heard the voice right.

"_Pretty sure? _How useful, Merlin."

"… I take back what I said earlier. You're a jerk all the time."

Arthur was about to retort, but stopped and observed the horizon. A small black figure was starting to emerge from the far-off trees. "Someone's coming."

As it drew closer, it was apparent that it was a man on a horse, with a dark blue cloak billowing behind him. Arthur instinctively reached for his sword while Merlin stood cautiously, ready to cast a spell if needed.

The horse slowed to a trot, and finally stopped in front of the two princes. The man swung down from the saddle and regarded them as carefully as they did him.

"I'm guessing you're the one we've been waiting for?" started Arthur. The man glanced at him.

"I was told I would only meet Prince Merlin. Which one of you is him?"

Merlin took a step forward. "That would be me."

And all at once, the man's somewhat daunting aura changed; he let out a short breath, as if he'd been holding it all his life, and Merlin swore he could've seen his eyes glisten wetly.

"It's an honor, My Lord." The man bowed quickly.

"And, um, this is my brother… Arthur."

Arthur was currently standing, unimpressed, with his arms crossed. The man bowed again, this time more courteous.

"I am Balinor."

"So do you have something, then?" asked Arthur again. "Merlin said you would have something that would kill the wraith."

"Yes; a sword, forged by Kilgarrah himself." Balinor produced the sword from the horse's saddle and presented it to Merlin, who held it tentatively in his pale hands. Merlin pulled the cloth that bound the weapon away and marveled at its beauty. A golden hilt and sharp blade, and strange runes decorated the fuller. Even Arthur went silent, admiring the aesthetics of the sword.

"What does it say…?" Merlin asked quietly.

"The front says 'Take me up.' The back says 'Cast me away.' According to Kilgarrah, that is."

Merlin looked up. "So you've met him in person?"

"In… person, yes, I suppose so."

Arthur, too, tore his appreciative gaze away. "What makes this sword special?"

"The details are a bit… well, remarkable. But this sword, Excalibur, can slay any beast, mortal or otherwise."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "And we're supposed to trust you on that?" He turned to his younger brother. "What do you think, Merlin?"

Merlin bit his lip. "It's our only chance, Arthur. Otherwise, you'll die. Then father will be next…"

Balinor seemed to stiffen at the word 'father', but both princes ignored it.

Arthur nodded. "Then it will do. We should take the sword and head back as soon as possible."

"I should add," spoke Balinor softly, "that only a Pendragon may wield Excalibur. I imagine, though, that that won't be a problem."

"I will wield it tomorrow and kill the wraith," said Arthur; he mostly spoke it to himself. He held out his hand and Merlin deposited Excalibur to his care. The oldest prince managed a formal bow to Balinor.

"Thank you," he whispered, before turning on his heel and quickly walking back towards the castle.

Balinor and Merlin remained, in silence. The young prince found he did not want to leave; he had so many questions to ask, about Kilgarrah, and his cryptic messages. And there was something off about Balinor…

"Actually," the man started, "I had something else to give you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"A present… From my wife and I." Balinor pulled an object from his pocket and opened his palm. A silver coin strung on a leather necklace lay in it. The coin had a small, yet elegant engraving of a dragon breathing fire, and a small singular sapphire lay embedded where its eye would be.

"It's lovely… Who is it for?"

Balinor laughed. "For you, My Lord!"

Merlin blinked. "What? Why?"

The man pulled back his hand to admire the coin for a bit longer. "Kilgarrah told us about you. You have a great destiny, Merlin." His voice began to tremble. "Though it will not be without its sacrifices. This is a good luck charm- it will protect you from any magic that wishes to cause you harm." He then held the necklace up by two fingers. "It belonged to our son. Please, take it."

"O-Oh, I couldn't possibly take something so precious… Wouldn't he want to keep it?"

"We lost our boy long ago, as a consequence of Cenred's Ban. But it's alright. You need it now, more than anyone."

With reluctance, Merlin accepted the coin and put it around his neck. A surge of warmth coursed through him, despite the frigid air.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, for he could find no other words to show his gratitude for this strange man- one he barely knew, yet felt like an old friend.

Balinor smiled kindly and bowed. "Thank you, My Lord. I hope our paths will cross again." He swept himself onto his horse and prepared to ride off, but Merlin stepped forward.

"I'm sorry about your son."

He was sure a tear slipped from the man's cheek, but he didn't say anything more. Balinor nodded once and kicked the horse, and soon, he was nothing more than a dot on the horizon once more.

* * *

After a sleepless night full of anxiety, morning finally came to a grave Camelot. The people dejectedly and almost unwillingly filled the stands at the Dueling Pitch, where Tristan already stood, ready for Arthur.

The Crown Prince himself was waiting in the armory as George secured his armor. Merlin was at his side, looking every bit as uneasy as Arthur felt. Excalibur rested on a table, sharpened and polished just an hour beforehand; Arthur had practiced with the blade for as many minutes as he could squeeze in, surprised at the ease with which he could control it.

George finished adjusting Arthur's breastplate.

"Good luck, sire," said the manservant. He left the two princes in the armory.

"Funny," Merlin commented. "I believe that's the first time I've ever heard George so sad."

"Unless you count the time we forced him to take a day off," quipped Arthur, and they both laughed. Their smiles died, though, as they remembered the challenge that Arthur would soon face.

The armory doors opened again, and Uther stood there with Ygraine. The queen immediately ran and hugged her eldest son, while the king remained awkwardly behind. He spotted Excalibur on the table.

"Is that it, then?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Merlin.

"Can it really kill Tris- the wraith?"

"It's the only thing we have to rely on."

"I can do it, father," Arthur spoke. Uther smiled.

"I don't doubt you. Never." He reached out and clapped his son's shoulder. "Good luck." Ygraine kissed Arthur's forehead and left with the king, both throwing a look over their shoulders before the door closed.

"You should get to your seat, too, Merlin."

"Right… Good luck Arthur."

"You know," said Arthur suddenly. "Everyone is so scared that I'll lose. Guess no one's keen on you being king instead."

Merlin laughed. "Neither am I, so you'd better win!"

Arthur nodded and watched as his younger brother left for the stands. Then his gaze shifted to his newly-acquired sword. As the quiet chill of the thought of death settled on him, he gripped Excalibur tighter and made his way for the Dueling Pitch.

The black knight, Tristan, stood undaunted on the field with sword and shield in hand. Arthur was opposite him, face stoic but heart racing.

Suddenly Tristan darted forward, lunging with the sword; Arthur quickly sidestepped to avoid the attack, swinging Excalibur in retaliation.

Merlin clenched his fists as tightly as he could as he watched his brother face off with the wraith. Would the sword work? The fight continued as the two men exchanged blows, neither willing to relent to the other. Excalibur glittered with every swing, and it was apparent that Arthur was better than usual with it in his grasp.

Tristan took a huge lunge and knocked Arthur on his back- but not before the Crown Prince managed to backhand the knight. Tristan's helmet clattered to the ground, causing shrieks to emit from the crowd.

His face was shriveled and black, and definitely not human. Ygraine's hand flew to her mouth, trying to keep in a scream.

He let out a deafening roar, bringing his sword up, ready to take Arthur's life; Arthur closed his eyes and braced his shield at the same moment he swung down. There was a loud crack, and Arthur opened his eyes to find Tristan's sword stuck in his shield. Acting fast, Arthur pulled the shield down and aimed a kick directly to Tristan's stomach; as the black knight stumbled backwards, Arthur gripped his Excalibur and pierced him in the heart.

Tristan screamed again, exploding into a cloud of ash. The Crown Prince panted heavily and staggered to his feet, unaware of the thunderous applause. He only stared at Excalibur, which had no blood on its blade, only the wraith's ash.

* * *

Merlin, Morgana, and Gwen all but jumped Arthur as the prince walked back to the armory. Surprisingly, he maintained his balance.

"You did it!" cheered Morgana as they separated. "I can't believe you did it!"

"Nice to know you believe in me, Morgana."

"Oh, quiet! I thought you were going to die!"

Arthur laughed and pat Merlin on the back. "I probably would've, were it not for your gracious fiancé."

"Merlin?" Gwen titled her head.

"I just, uh, got the sword he used." Merlin shot his brother a look, which the older boy promptly shrugged off.

"But, I'm still curious," spoke Gwen. "What exactly was that thing? Did you see its face?"

Morgana nodded. "Yes! It was terrible!"

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, remembering their parents. "Speaking of which, we really must check in with father," Merlin stated.

"Yes, quite right. Come on Merlin. See you ladies later." Arthur made a quick bow, gaze lingering on Gwen, Merlin pecked Morgana on the cheek, and they were off to find the king and queen.

They ran by the Dueling Pitch, not noticing the woman standing quietly, observing the pile of ashes that was Tristan de Bois. Her fists were clenched tightly, and she sent the two princes a menacing glare as they passed. Neither of them even detected her presence.

"Well, I suppose Uther should be proud he has such resourceful sons," she spoke quietly. "This will be harder than I imagined."

She turned and began to walk away from the Dueling Pitch. "I suppose I shall have Cenred pay a visit after all."

* * *

**OH it feels good to get in this world again.**

**Next chapter: The kingdom of Camelot receives an unwelcome guest within its walls, and Merlin is more and more at risk with every step he takes.**


	11. Storm Brewing

**HEEEEEEYOOOOOOO**

**A little bit shorter than the other chapters thus far, but cutting it off where I did felt the most reasonable.**

**I've been re-watching the series to motivate myself, and I've just reaffirmed my love for Uther. It hurts that his tag on tumblr is filled with hate. :(**

* * *

A man sat on an ornate wooden chair, alone, in a room made of cold stone. His expression was bored, and he rested his head in one hand, with a glass of wine in the other.

Then, there was a knock.

"Who is it?" he asked, eyeing his almost empty cup with more interest than his potential visitor.

"It is Morgause, King Cenred."

All at once, he sat at attention, cup dropped on the floor and abandoned. The guards opened the door with a slow sort of grandeur, and then she appeared before him. Her golden locks flowed down her back and her eyes like hazel burned into his.

His lovely little Morgause.

He smirked, leaning back in his throne. "So? I take it your little venture has been successful?"

She waited until the guards closed the doors again before answering. And when she did, she glared at the ground.

"No."

"Beg your pardon?"

"I said no, My Lord; I failed. Uther Pendragon still lives."

Cenred frowned, resisting the urge to yell at her, like he did with most subjects who failed him. "And why, pray tell, have you failed _again_?"

"His family is far more resourceful than I thought. Twice now his sons have foiled my- our plans."

He ignored her slip of the tongue. "Morgause, the great and powerful sorceress, defeated by two teenagers?"

She bit her lip and continued her angry glower. "Yes, My Lord."

"So then kill them," he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Finally, she looked up. "I cannot do that, Sire. My sister, she-!"

"Ah yes, the Lady Morgana. What does she have to do with anything? I told you, only when Uther Pendragon breathes his last is when you may reunite with her."

Something akin to sadness sparked in her eyes, but the anger replaced it soon enough. "I know that, but she has become engaged to one of the sons."

Cenred sat up. "Arthur?"

"No, the youngest. Merlin."

At this, the king of Essetir raised an eyebrow. "The orphan? To think Uther would sink so low… Gorlois must be rolling in his grave." A dark chuckle escaped his lips.

"The people seem to like him well enough," she muttered. "Regardless, I want to spare my sister any pain, in case she truly cares for Merlin. Killing him would be…"

He rolled his eyes. "Right. I see what you're implying." He stood and made his way over to her, while she stood unflinchingly still. "Alright. You want to spare your sister's pain. Surely killing Arthur wouldn't be too much?"

"…"

"Speaking of, how did your little wraith plan go? I thought it foolproof."

"Arthur killed it."

"… How?"

"I don't know." She growled. "I think they might have some sort of magical force that's guiding them."

"Magical force? What do you mean?"

"I have heard whispers… A young woman sometimes wanders the castle, but no one seems to know who she is. It's a very slight possibility, but she could be the reason our plans are failing."

Cenred suddenly grinned- it was manic, and to Morgause's displeasure, it was slightly reminiscent of the foolish knight, Valiant.

"So what you're saying, Morgause… Is that Uther may be harboring a sorcerer?"

"Yes, My Lord."

The king of Essetir rose from his throne and crossed over to the blonde sorceress. "I do hope you haven't tired of Camelot yet, my dear; I have to pay the Pendragons a little visit."

* * *

The sun glared down on the training field, burning its heat through the layers of armor and protective gear the knights wore. Yet they still continued to train, thrusting swords, throwing daggers, and anything else they would need to learn to survive in the battlefield.

Merlin sat on a bench, watching the knights practice with mild interest. Arthur was standing on the far side of the field, barking out orders and drills. The older prince was known for being a rather harsh instructor, but he always got results, and in the end, Merlin supposed that was what their father wanted. He, on the other hand, was only good when it came to teaching archery. Otherwise, he sat out and felt sorry for the poor souls Arthur had been assigned that day.

His hand rose and wrapped its fingers around the silver coin around his neck. This had become habitual for Merlin. For some reason, the present from Balinor and his wife soothed the young prince, as if it absorbed his worries and replaced it with warmth. The only problem was, he didn't know what he was worried about. An uneasy feeling had overtaken his mind ever since the wraith incident. Yes, everything turned out fine (as Arthur reminded him many times), but Merlin still didn't know who had animated Tristan de Bois, and that troubled him to no end. Someone had it out for his family, and he wanted to know who.

"Taking a break?"

He smiled, recognizing the voice without having to look up. Morgana sat down next to him, allowing him to grip her hand and raise it to his lips.

"Arthur would call it being lazy." He lowered her hand.

"Well, you're definitely getting better. I noticed he had a harder time knocking you down today."

"Compared to the other knights, it probably felt like seconds to him."

"Ah," she said, leaning in closer. "But I also noticed he stayed away from you during the archery training."

He raised an eyebrow, quirking a half-smile. "How long have you been watching?"

She shrugged. "Long enough to know something's been bothering you. You've been fiddling with that necklace all morning." Her jade eyes showed concern. "Is everything alright?"

He hesitated; he was still not allowed to tell Morgana about his magic, no matter how hard he tried to convince his father that it would protect her, not harm her. In the end, he decided to be vague about his concerns.

His gaze was directed at the ground. "It's just, with Valiant and that black knight appearing, it feels like our family is being targeted. I'm afraid I can't protect everyone I care about…" He let out a short laugh. "I suppose it's for the best that Arthur is going to be king. At least he can fight."

Morgana frowned, scooting closer to her distressed fiancé. "Merlin…" She used one hand to cup his face and make him face her. "You're a wonderful prince. You don't need to be good at warfare for the people to love you." He tried to protest, but she held up a finger to show she wasn't finished. "And they _do, _for your information. Arthur _is _going to be king, but that doesn't mean you'd be a bad one. Now stop doubting yourself; it's very unattractive."

Merlin stared at her for a second before breaking into a smile. "Then I suppose I should focus my priorities elsewhere?"

She nodded with a nonchalant air. "Yes. Like your future wife."

"And what, My Lady, does my future wife need of me?"

"Well, do you know we've never kissed? It's quite unfair, considering we've been engaged for two months now."

The prince turned red, startled by Morgana's sudden boldness. But then, he noticed smugly, the king's ward wore a light blush on her cheeks as well.

"Do you want our first kiss to happen in front of all these people?" he asked teasingly. Luckily, most of the training knights hadn't taken notice of the flirting royals.

"Oh, they think we're far past kissing, dear."

"Hmm?"

They were smirking at each other, mere centimeters away. Merlin could clearly smell her faint perfume, and see his reflection in her eyes…

"If you are quite done, Merlin, Father has called us to the Council Room."

They both jumped apart, whipping their heads around to find Arthur impatiently tapping his foot, an unimpressed eyebrow raised.

"Would you stop that?" Morgana shouted. The oldest prince grinned.

"If you want alone time with your fiancé, maybe you should make sure you're actually alone." Arthur reached forward and pulled Merlin away from the bench. Morgana moved to get up as well.

"Actually, Morgana, Father has just asked for us. He'll make a formal announcement later."

She frowned. "A formal announcement for what?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "But we'll find out. Come on, lover-boy." He began to push Merlin in the direction of the castle; Merlin looked back and smiled apologetically at Morgana. She, in return, gave a small wave goodbye.

"You have the _worst _timing," Merlin muttered.

"Blame Father, not me," retorted Arthur.

* * *

When they entered the Council Room, they were greeted by an anxious Ygraine and an unnervingly quiet Uther.

"Father," started Arthur, stepping forward with caution. "Is everything all right?"

Uther looked up; both his sons saw the weariness in his eyes. A parchment was in his hands, sealed with what looked like a royal crest…

"Cenred is coming," the King announced, letting his words echo into the stunned silence. Ygraine placed her arms around her husband in a comforting manner.

Arthur was the first of the princes to recover. "What?! Why?"

"'A simple visit' is all the letter says. He'll be here in a week." Uther sounded hollow and angry all at once.

"But… All of a sudden, just like that? He has to be planning something!"

"That's what we think, too, Arthur," spoke Ygraine, her voice the most calm. "But we can't let him know we don't trust him; that may be reason enough to start war."

The blonde prince huffed angrily, and then suddenly he remembered his brother. Merlin was the one most at risk if Cenred was coming.

Merlin was clutching his necklace so intensely his knuckles were turning white, and his gaze was trained on the letter his father was still holding.

Uther got up from his seat and crossed over to his youngest son, gripping his shoulders. This broke Merlin out of his daze; he was instead forced to look into his father's grey eyes, fear contained in his own blue.

"Merlin, I need you to listen to me," Uther demanded. "For the entire duration of Cenred's visit, you are not allowed to use your magic."

"Yes, I…"

"Not even when you think you're alone! Promise me that!"

Merlin swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Yes, Father."

The King sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's for the kingdom, Father," Merlin murmured. "I understand."

Uther shook his head. "No, the kingdom has nothing to do with it. It's _you _I don't want getting hurt."

The youngest prince managed a weak smile. "I'll be careful."

"Good." The King cleared his throat and stepped back. "Well, we should start preparing for Cenred's arrival. You can resume your training."

"Thank you, Father," said Arthur as he and his brother bowed. They walked out of the Council Room, leaving Ygraine and Uther to worry about preparations.

* * *

Uther did make the King of Essetir's visit public not a day later, and the news of it shocked most of the council. Many of the servants scrambled to prepare the castle for Cenred, readying the rooms and food for feasts.

While the princes of Camelot were supposed to supervise the preparations, the youngest could not find it in himself to be cheerful, instead staying gloomily quiet; Arthur began to insist that Morgana accompany them, as she was about the only person who could elicit a smile from the young prince. She, however, grew increasingly concerned for her fiancé, but neither he nor anyone else would tell her why Merlin was so disconsolate.

The week passed by unbearably slowly, and soon, the sentries posted on the outer gates could see Cenred's group draw closer. The king of Essetir was at the front of the company, followed by what were most likely servants.

He reached the front steps of the castle, where the royal family and the Court awaited his arrival.

"King Uther," Cenred greeted, flashing a smile as he got off his horse. He bowed formally, not seeing the way Uther tensed.

"King Cenred," he replied, though not as cheerfully. "It has been a while."

"Over sixteen years, I believe." Cenred then crossed over to Ygraine, bowing again. "My Lady," he said.

Ygraine gave a curtsy, refusing to look him in the eyes. This only appeared to delight the man.

"And these two must be your sons." He locked gazes with the brothers, but whereas Arthur was having trouble holding back any contempt, Merlin kept his face stoic, much to his parents' surprise.

"It's an honor, King Cenred," said the youngest prince, bowing politely. Arthur hastily followed his lead, caught by surprise by his brother's sudden calmness.

"Yes," was Cenred's reply. He narrowed his eyes but didn't say a thing more.

"We will have the servants show you and your guests to your rooms," Uther cut in. "There will be a feast at dusk."

"Wonderful. Thank you for your hospitality." Cenred gestured towards his entourage, beckoning a young blonde female to his side, carrying a bag full of his belongings. He and his servants went into the castle.

The rest of the Court dispersed as well, leaving the Pendragons on the steps of their castle. Uther let out a short breath, loosening his grip on Ygraine's hand.

"That went better than expected," the Queen commented. Uther glanced at his sons, who were coming towards their parents. Morgana and her servant were with them, but of the group, Merlin appeared the least anxious.

Uther wanted to congratulate his son on behaving normally, but with Morgana and Gwen there as well, all he said was, "Good work, everyone. I believe Cenred is satisfied so far."

"He's much more intimidating than I imagined," said Morgana, gripping Merlin's hand. He smiled calmly at her.

"At least he didn't speak directly to you. I was terrified."

"You didn't show it," commented Arthur.

"He seemed more in control than you, Arthur," teased Morgana, earning a glare from the Crown Prince. Gwen shot him a sympathetic look, which he appreciated greatly.

"Well then," interrupted the Queen, "I believe everyone should head back to their chambers until the feast. We all need to rest, after all."

"Yes, that's a good idea." Uther smiled at his wife. "I'll see you all later," he nodded at his sons, then Morgana, and even Gwen. He and the Queen turned and left for their chambers.

"We'd better get ready, too, My Lady." Gwen curtsied to the Princes, blushing at Arthur's grin, and hurried along. Morgana followed after her once she'd given Merlin a short kiss on the cheek.

The youngest prince, wearing a stupid grin, noticed the look his brother was giving him. "What?"

"How the hell did you stay so calm?"

"I didn't think I was. It took all my will to not grab for my necklace." The coin around his neck glittered proudly in the sun. "Anyway, I'm surprised you didn't jump him."

"No matter how much I wanted to, I don't want to be responsible for starting a war." Arthur bumped Merlin's shoulder. "Now, come on, George is probably waiting for us."

Merlin laughed. "If he briefs us on table manners with kings again, I swear…"

* * *

The servants finished depositing Cenred's things in his appointed room. He waved his hand to signal them to leave, and all exited, with the exception of Cenred and the blonde servant from earlier. She dropped his bag on the ground with a look of disgust.

He chuckled, crossing over to her and looping an arm around her shoulders. "Don't be like that, Morgause, my dear. The servant look suits you."

She glared at him, but didn't say anything.

"It's easier to have you as a servant; you're less conspicuous this way. You understand, don't you?" He pulled her closer, speaking into her ear. Morgause tried not to struggle in his grip.

"Yes, My Lord."

"Good." He let go of her, noticing, smugly, that the sorceress took a few steps away from him. "Now that we're past that, what did you think? Was there anyone present that could be our fugitive witch?"

Morgause shook her head. "No. There was a magical presence there, but it was hidden very well… I couldn't tell where it was coming from."

"But we have proof now, don't we?" Cenred's smirk was wicked. "There is a sorcerer within Camelot."

She only looked away, focusing her attention on luggage she dropped not a few minutes before.

Cenred frowned, frustrated at her lack of response. He tried another tactic to get her to speak. "Did you see the Lady Morgana?"

She inhaled sharply, meeting his gaze. "… Yes."

He sighed contentedly. "Quite the vision; almost as beautiful as you, my dear." The King of Essetir stepped closer and traced her face with his fingers. "Hard to believe she's engaged to that gangly Orphan Prince."

Her eyes narrowed, though she did not look angry. "Yes," she replied quietly.

There was a hurried knock on the door. Cenred looked at it with irritation. "What?"

A servant timidly poked his head in the room, bowing to the King. "Sorry to disturb you, My Lord, but… E-Everything has been set up."

Immediately, Cenred's annoyance was replaced with glee; on the other hand, Morgause flinched.

"Very good! Tell my guards to keep them hidden until I say so." The servant bowed again and left, clicking the door shut. This left Morgause once again stuck in the same room as the King. He sighed, noting her troubled expression.

"I know this must be hard for you, dear, but it is necessary." He placed his hands on her shoulders, moving them gently up and down in an attempt to soothe her. She only tensed up more.

Cenred continued. "If you cannot find out the identity of the sorcerer, we will just have to make them come out on their own. After all, who could idly stand by and watch their own kind be killed?" He smirked, knowing the haunted look on Morgause's face all too well. He reveled in it, being able to crush the pride of such a powerful witch with something as simple as a memory… He stopped his ministrations, pushing Morgause towards the door.

"Go," he ordered. "Investigate around the castle and try to find that sorceress."

Morgause nodded once, slowly opening the door.

"Who knows," he called out after her, "you may even get to speak with your sister."

After a second of silence, she nodded again. "Thank you, Sire."

* * *

**Hmm. I finished this at three in the morning, so please do point out any spelling mistakes. I swear, every time I upload a chapter I have an anxiety attack about spelling.**

**I actually sort of like Morgause. Well, not as a villain. I just like her sister dynamic with Morgana.**

**Next time: Cenred's plan is revealed, and Uther is forced to make a decision that may cause the Young Prince to hate his father...**


	12. Reassuring

**Wow. This was way longer than I meant for it to be. Anyway, I figured I could write another chapter before school starts up again.**

* * *

The feast held in Cenred's honor was fairly uneventful; everyone managed to have a decent time and act civil towards Essetir's king. In fact, he barely said a word during it all. He kept glancing over the crowd of people, as if he was searching for something… Uther didn't want to think about what that could be.

Regardless, the Pendragons all felt very relieved when the feast ended, and the two princes walked to their room with more peace of mind than they had felt in the days leading up to Cenred's arrival.

"I hope things stay this way for the rest of his visit," muttered Arthur, mostly to himself. His younger brother heard anyway and nodded.

"Then he'll be out of our hair and there'll be no trouble."

"I still feel uneasy, though. Don't you, Merlin?"

The younger prince shrugged. "Of course I do. But it's not going to do us any good being suspicious of everything Cenred does."

Arthur's brow furrowed. "But he has to be planning something! Why else would he come all the way out here? Do you really think this is just a visit?"

"… No," he admitted. "But let's try not to think about, yeah? He's only staying for four more days, anyway. How much damage could he do in that time?"

"I think you seriously underestimate people, Merlin."

"I think you're overestimating him."

"Well, excuse me for trying to look out for my little brother!"

They reached the heavy wooden door that led to their room, and Merlin turned to Arthur, who was wearing a sour expression.

"I know you're trying to protect me, Arthur, and I appreciate it, really. I just don't want you ending up getting in trouble because of it."

The Crown Prince huffed, but he gave a small smile. "I suppose that makes sense. Alright, I'll ease up a bit."

"Thank you."

"Y'know," commented Arthur and they both walked in, "I really wonder which one of us is more suited to be King."

"Don't start on that; I can barely keep up with my fiancée, let alone an entire kingdom."

"Hmph."

George walked in then, stopping Arthur from continuing the conversation as he prepared the two princes for bed.

* * *

Their manservant had just left for his own chambers, leaving the both of them in their beds. Arthur had fallen asleep first, like he usually did, snoring a bit as he tossed around under his covers. Merlin had grown accustomed to the noise, though on certain nights it was extremely irritating. This wasn't one of those nights. The sound actually comforted the younger prince, making him feel as though the day had been perfectly normal, and the biggest threat to his life hadn't been within five feet of him.

He turned over and sighed into his pillow, briefly wondering what Kilgarrah would tell him to do. This is usually when he would pop up, right? Whenever something dangerous to Merlin or his family was around? But Merlin hadn't had contact with the man ever since the incident with Balinor…

'Oh, well,' he thought to himself as he finally felt his eyelids closing. 'There must not be any real danger…'

'_HELP!'_

A piercing scream shot through Merlin's head, sending him upright in seconds. He blinked, looking to his brother, who was still peacefully asleep. He didn't hear it, and it definitely wasn't Arthur's voice anyway…

'That wasn't Kilgarrah, either…' he wondered curiously. 'I don't recognize that voice at al-!'

There it was again. It wasn't as loud, and it actually sounded like it was fading. And whereas Kilgarrah's voice sounded as though he were right next to Merlin, this one sounded as though it was coming from beneath him, through the stone floors.

'_Please…' _the voice pleaded again, growing softer and more desperate. Hesitantly, Merlin replied.

'_Hello?'_ he asked, unsure if it would respond.

'_I… some… there?'_ The voice grew so quiet, and Merlin didn't hear what it said. He feared it had stopped entirely.

'_Hello?' _he ventured again.

'_Help… in dungeons… help…!'_

He waited for more, but the voice had stopped. He waited for his heart to still as he felt himself grow cold with fear, but of what, he didn't know. It took him a second, but Merlin was soon out of bed and crossing to Arthur's side of the room.

"Arthur," he muttered urgently, shaking his brother's shoulder. "Arthur!"

The blond jerked his shoulder away in annoyance, but he wasn't quite awake. Merlin groaned.

"Arthur!"

He muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'Guinevere' and turned away. Growing impatient, Merlin grabbed the covers and yanked them away, which sent Arthur tumbling over his bed and onto the floor with a thud.

"Oof!"

Merlin peered over the bed with little concern. "Are you awake now?"

"Good God, Merlin!" Arthur hissed, throwing one arm over the bed, using the other to rub at his now-sore back. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Sorry to disturb your pleasant dreams," he smirked, noticing the shade of pink Arthur turned, even in the dark. He then became serious. "I heard a voice just now."

"What, like a guard? They're probably chatting during their rounds."

"No, dollop head, I mean like in my mind! Like Kilgarrah, only… It was different this time."

Arthur went from disgruntled to concerned in seconds. "Are you sure? How do you mean, 'different'?"

"It was a different voice… A child's, I think. And it was calling for help."

Arthur pulled himself up from the floor. "For help?"

"Yes. It said, 'help', and then 'please', and something about the dungeons. And it sounded like it was coming from down there as well."

The older brother frowned, much to Merlin's confusion. "You're… certain?"

"How many times have I heard voices before?" he asked, aggravated. "I think I'm more of an expert on it than you."

"Alright, alright, but… Merlin, the only people who can talk to you in your head are, well… People with magic. And you're not even supposed to think about magic until Cenred leaves."

"Arthur, we're talking about a child. What if they are really in need of help? The least we could do is check it out."

"What if there isn't a child? We could get caught sneaking around by Cenred's guards. Didn't you say we should act as inconspicuous as possible?"

"I… Yes, but…"

"I'm not doubting you," Arthur assured him. "But maybe this isn't what it seems. We still don't know if Kilgarrah is that trustworthy, even with all he's done to help us. This new voice could be trouble."

Merlin didn't reply; he glared at his brother, and Arthur couldn't really blame him.

"Just… let it go, this once. If it keeps up, we'll investigate. Alright?"

"…" Merlin turned on his heel and got back into bed. Arthur sighed and did the same. His brother was obviously angry with him.

After a few seconds of silence, however, Arthur spoke up in the darkness.

"Merlin?"

"What?" he snapped.

"What on earth is a 'dollop head'?"

"… In two words?"

"Yeah?"

"Prince Arthur."

"… Good night, prat."

Merlin rolled over, feeling slightly better, but still worse than before. The voice didn't call to him for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Sire?"

Merlin opened his eyes to a blurry version of George. "Nn?" He blinked, allowing his vision to clear, and noticed the worried look on George's normally stoic face. Arthur was sitting up in bed, watching George curiously.

"I'm, uh, terribly sorry to awake you earlier than usual, but…"

"George, what is it?" asked Merlin.

"It seems, that, um, the Lady Morgana was attacked last nig-!"

"What?!" both princes shouted simultaneously. George flinched.

"She's alright, just a bit shocked, but your father wanted me to get you tw-!"

Merlin brushed past the manservant, grabbing his boots from under the bed and slipping them on as he headed for the door. Arthur was not too far behind, though he grabbed his coat in addition to his shoes.

"Sire, wait!" George called, to no avail. "You're not dressed properly!"

Merlin made a beeline for Morgana's room. Once he neared it, he saw three guards standing outside. They stepped aside respectfully to let him in.

Uther, Ygraine, Gwen, and two of the knights, including Leon, were in the room already, and all of them turned to face the young prince when he entered. But he didn't have time to acknowledge them, as Morgana threw herself into his arms, nearly crushing his ribs.

"Morgana, are you alright?" he asked, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her.

"Merlin, it was awful! I-I didn't… I didn't know what was going on!"

At this point, Arthur had caught up with him, and he was now in the room as well.

"What on earth happened?" demanded the Crown Prince. Leon spoke up.

"We heard screaming coming from the Lady Morgana's room," he said, gesturing to the other knight. "and when we entered, we found her bed on fire, with her trapped within it."

Both princes were stunned. Merlin looked down at her. "Are you hurt?"

"No, nothing serious," she shook her head. "The… The flames stopped once Sir Leon and Sir Edric came in."

Arthur stepped forward. "They just stopped? Just like that?"

"It's quite… strange," remarked Uther. He was staring at Morgana's bed, which did look slightly charred, but not devastatingly so. "Regardless, we will find out who is responsible for this, and they will be brought to justice."

"Who could have done something like this?" asked Merlin, still holding onto Morgana.

"That would be obvious, wouldn't it?" Everyone turned sharply at the coldly familiar voice. King Cenred leant against the doorframe, arms crossed with a serious face.

"King Cenred," Uther greeted slowly, eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Come now, Uther, with everything that's been going on in your castle, shouldn't the answer be clear as day? A sorcerer is obviously responsible for what happened here!"

Ygraine inhaled sharply, refusing to let her eyes dart towards her youngest son.

"That's preposterous," replied Leon. "There are no sorcerers in Camelot!"

"Yes, that's right," Uther added. "We've made sure of that with the last few incidents you mentioned."

Cenred raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you explain this? Look, there are no candles anywhere near her bed! And what sort of non-magical assassin would set her bed aflame?"

"Perhaps just to intimidate her?" Arthur suggested. "Though I still don't see a reason for that."

"Can we not speak of this in front of Morgana?" Merlin snapped. Morgana had buried her head into his chest, obviously not wanting to hear about her potential assassin's motives.

"Merlin, dear, why don't you take her to Gaius and see if she's hurt anywhere?" said Ygraine.

He nodded, and gingerly led her out of the room, completely ignoring Cenred's look as they passed him. Gwen hurried after them, concerned for her mistress.

"If you refuse to believe that Camelot is infested with magic, Uther, then I will have to take matters into my own hands."

Arthur scowled. "What do you mean?"

"My men know how to spot sorcery. We will find every last one within Camelot." He left them all with a turn of his cape, secretly savoring their stunned faces. However, once he turned the corner, a dark glower overtook his features. "This was not according to plan," he muttered under his breath.

"We can't let him do that!" protested Arthur, once he was sure Cenred was out of hearing range. "He can't arrest our citizens!"

"He was the one who put the Ban on Magic into effect, My Lord," said Sir Edric. "Technically, if he suspects someone of sorcery, he is well within his rights to arrest them…"

"That's bullshit!"

"Arthur!" said Ygraine, affronted.

"Calm down, Arthur, we'll figure this out. We just need to gather evidence and prove this wasn't sorcery."

Arthur grimaced. "… Fine."

* * *

Once Gaius had been informed of the incident, he quickly set to work examining the Lady Morgana. Luckily, all he found was a small, pinkish burn on her lower leg, and after applying a salve, guaranteed both her, Gwen, and Merlin that she would recover fully in a day or two. The engaged couple left Gaius's workshop, still holding each other's hands as they made their way back to Morgana's room. Morgana assured Gwen that she would be fine and could take care of herself, and that she should head home to rest. After much objecting, the maidservant reluctantly bid them farewell.

"God, I've made everyone worry," Morgana said somberly.

"Of course," replied a surprised Merlin. "You were attacked! Magic or not, the whole kingdom should be concerned for your health!"

"For god's sake Merlin, I'm not the bloody Queen…"

"You're just as important. Especially to me."

She smiled at that. "Do you think it's magic, Merlin?"

He frowned. "I'm not as quick as Cenred to jump to conclusions."

"But it's strange, isn't it? There are no candles by my bed, and I didn't hear anyone come into my room, either. What if it was a sorcerer?" Suddenly she pulled her hand from Merlin's, opting to wrap her arms around herself, as if she were cold. Then again, she was only in her nightgown. A thought crossed Merlin's mind.

"Morgana… Do you think magic is evil?"

She hesitated. "It's why Cenred started the Ban, isn't it? Because he thought magic was evil and everyone who used was, too. But… I can't see things that way."

He was relieved at her answer. "Why not?"

"I… had a nightmare, before it all happened. I usually do, I mean, but this one was different."

"How?"

She gripped herself tighter, and they stopped walking. Merlin pulled her aside, closer to the wall, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Morgana?"

"Most of the time, my nightmares are about my father, a-about the way he died…" she said shakily. He nodded, encouraging her to go on. "O-Or my mother, about her dying from her illness… But this time…" Morgana swallowed. "This time it was you."

Merlin froze, and Morgana looked away.

"I… died… in your dream?"

"I-It wasn't just that… Oh Merlin, it was so horrible!" Tears began to well up in her beautiful jade eyes. "You… You were burning, a-at the stake, in the middle of the town square! Like you were some sort of sorcerer! And everyone was just watching, the King, and Arthur… We just let it happen!" She hugged him again, though in his shocked state, he was slower to react.

"You were screaming, and there was nothing I could do to help you…" she sobbed. He finally snapped out of his stupor and held her.

"It was just a nightmare, Morgana," he said, though it didn't come out as assuring as he'd hoped.

"It was the worst I've ever had… It felt so real, when I woke up, I feared it actually happened… I was so relieved when you walked in…"

"I was relieved to see you alright," he murmured. "We're both alive, and safe, and nothing is going to happen to either of us. Or anyone in our family. I promise you."

"Thank you, Merlin," she said gratefully.

He looked down at her, and she looked up. They moved their heads closer together agonizingly slow, before their lips touched and they shared their first kiss.

It was gentle, and it provided comfort to the both of them. But as soon as their lips met, they separated, each observing the other with warm eyes.

"I… W-We should be getting back to your chambers," Merlin stammered.

"Yes," said Morgana softly. She let out a small laugh. "I shouldn't have sent Gwen home; I'm not even dressed."

"I don't think she actually listened to you. And if it's of any consolation, neither am I."

Her smile was wider, and she finally looked like herself again. "We must look ridiculous."

"Let's hurry, before anyone sees us and a scandal erupts," he teased. They both laughed. Morgana slipped her hand easily into his, and they walked back to her chambers feeling happy, unaware of what was to come.

* * *

Cenred slammed his door shut with such force that the maid inside his room dropped her basket of sheets. Morgause was at the bed, replacing the old sheets with the new, and she too had jumped at his sudden entrance.

"Out," he barked to the nameless maid. She quickly gathered her things, sending Morgause a sympathetic look before scurrying outside.

"My Lord," she curtsied. His scowl deepened.

"What the hell are you playing at, witch?" he growled.

Morgause blinked in confusion. "My Lord, what are you-?"

"The plan was," interrupted Cenred, "to attack one of the princes with magic, and make it seem like an outsider did it."

"That… is the plan, yes…"

"So why the hell did you set fire to Lady Morgana's bed instead, a day ahead of schedule?!"

"What?" Morgause went rigid. "I did no such thing! Is she alright?"

"You did no such thing my ass!"

"Why would I harm my own sister?" she shouted back. Cenred scowled.

"Then who, pray tell, did set her bed aflame?"

"I don't know! Is she alright?" she asked again.

"She's fine. But now there's another sorcerer running amok here, and he damn well almost ruined the plan!" He paused then, realization dawning upon him. "Unless… It wasn't another sorcerer at all."

"Cenred?" Morgause asked uncertainly.

"Of course, it couldn't have been the same person foiling our plans. That wouldn't make sense." He stepped closer, but the witch stood her ground. "Dear Morgause… What are the chances of your sister having magic as well?"

Her eyes narrowed. "None!"

"Are you sure?"

"I would know if my sister had magic! I'm the only one who inherited it, she stayed normal!"

"Really now? Are you sure you're just denying it to keep her safe from me?"

"I'm sure, damn it! She would have found out about it before now! Magic doesn't just appear out of nowhere!"

"What if she does know about it?" He asked, now circling her like prey. "What if she's known the whole time?"

"… What are you implying?" she seethed.

"I'm implying that your sister is the one ruining our plans!" Cenred hissed. "It would make sense, wouldn't it? That she'd protect her new family with her powers!"

"My sister would never defend scum like Uther Pendragon!"

"But she doesn't have your knowledge, my dear. She doesn't know what he's done… to you. She doesn't even know you exist. With your mother so close to death, of course she would do anything to make sure her new family stays safe…" He reached for her, like a father would to comfort a child, but she stepped back. He raised an eyebrow. "If it is her-"

"It's not!"

"_If _it is her," he continued, unhindered, "rest assured, I will not harm her… That is part of our deal, after all. But I still need Uther dead, and I expect you to handle the Lady Morgana in case anything… goes wrong."

She glared at him. "You haven't proved it was her. Why would she set her own bed on fire?"

He shrugged. "How am I supposed to know how you sorcerers think? You haven't come up with any other suspects."

She couldn't respond to that; it was true.

"Anyway, the plan will be pushed ahead. Tell the guards to get 'them' ready."

"… Yes, My Lord," she said begrudgingly, but left without a curtsy.

Cenred smirked and she slammed the door, much in the same way he did when he entered. He turned his gaze to outside the window, where all of Camelot was visible to him. And very soon, he felt, it would be his.

"Uther Pendragon…" he chuckled.

"Prepare for your fall."

* * *

**This was going to end just before they find out Morgana was attacked, but then I wanted to go back and add the dollop head conversation and then it just didn't stop.**

**Plot: The Chapter.**

**Next time! Well... The last "Next time", I said Cenred's plan would be revealed, but this time I mean it! Shit's going down, guys. Expect another long one.**


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